Tools for increasing accessibility in teaching, guidance and supervision

Being aware of students’ starting points and considering accessibility reduces the need for individual arrangements. Problems can be kept from accumulating by understanding students’ circumstances, discussing how they affect studies in connection with guidance and supervision, and considering appropriate pedagogical options and solutions in advance. 

The following starting points should be considered in all teaching, guidance and supervision when students have an illness, disability or learning impediment that affects their studies: 

• University students are usually familiar with their support needs, especially if they have been studying for a while. This is why it is often advisable to start by asking students themselves what could support their learning. Discuss with them which course completion options best support their learning, guiding them to identify the most suitable ones. At the same time, encourage students to choose, whenever possible, varied completion methods to develop their academic skills (e.g., groupwork skills).  
• Urge them to develop their learning skills and use the learning methods that work for them.    
• Rather than only encouraging them to keep up with the recommendations, talk about a realistic and reasonable pace of studying based on their circumstances.    
• Discuss future studies well in advance with students who have an illness or disability (e.g., visual or hearing impairment) that requires advance information on courses and course material. If necessary, students can be referred to student advice or an accessibility contact person.

Anxiety is common and normal; groupwork, discussions and, in particular, presenting in front of others can cause anxiety in many students. Anxiety becomes a problem if it causes students not to take courses or to drop out of them.  

Anxiety can be alleviated by practising interaction and presentation skills. Experiences of success and skills development mitigate anxiety. You can learn to live with your anxiety. It is also important to keep in mind that you need not eliminate anxiety altogether. Reasonable anxiety is useful, as it helps to focus on the task at hand.  

Tools for teaching

• Talk with students about anxiety being normal in interaction.  
• If students don’t know each other, make time for them to get acquainted. Making acquaintance through pair or small-group exercises reduces anxiety. Working repeatedly with the same partner or small group can increase a sense of safety.  
• Oversee students’ division into small groups so that no one is excluded.  
• If appropriate for the learning outcomes, continue using pair and small-group assignments throughout the course. Presentations in this format are an option too.  
• Clear assignments and rules reduce uncertainty and anxiety for all students. For example, small groups can agree on roles and the division of duties.

Tools for guidance and supervision

• In guidance and supervision, pay attention to students’ course performance. If you find that a student has not completed compulsory courses that require presenting or engaging in groupwork, you can carefully ask about it and, if necessary, direct them to seek support.  
• They should gradually include in their studies courses involving groupwork, discussions and presentation. Consider how to do this so that the student gradually gains positive experiences of anxiety-inducing situations. Even though the development of social skills makes it necessary to leave your comfort zone, excessive demands can increase anxiety and stress.  
• Students can choose a course that involves presentations or groupwork, initially agreeing on individual arrangements. As their skills develop, the need for individual arrangements often decreases.
• If necessary, consult a study psychologist. At students’ initiative, you can organise meetings attended by a study psychologist. 

Examples of individual arrangements

Practising social skills benefits students, but at times course requirements and completion methods are too stressful for them. Instead of supporting students’ development, excessive demands produce experiences of failure and easily lead to increasing avoidance of social situations.  If a student tells you that the requirements are too high for them, or if you notice this yourself, you can ask them to apply for a recommendation for individual arrangements. You can also consult a study psychologist.  

Individual arrangements include completion methods that enable achievement of the course learning outcomes:  

• If the learning outcomes do not require students to practise communication and interaction, you can agree with the student on essays, learning journals and other completion methods so that the learning outcomes are achievable in accordance with requirements corresponding to other methods.
• If the learning outcomes require students to practise communication and interaction, you can agree with the student on an individually tailored completion method. To enable the student to practise the social skills included in the course, start from their personal circumstances. Have a one-on-one conversation with the student and try to identify viable practices.

Examples of tailored communication and interaction skills practice: 

• A bachelor’s thesis presentation for a smaller group or the teacher
• A presentation that is recorded and shown to other students or the teacher only
• Serving as an opponent in a seminar in writing and providing feedback to another student one on one or with the help of the teacher  
• Completing calculation exercises on the board initially in small groups or reviewing the assignment shortly before the actual calculation exercise begins

Support for students suffering from anxiety

• The ERI courses offered by the Language Centre as alternatives to completing a foreign language course (English) and demonstrating second national language proficiency (Swedish).
• Oral communication classes offered by the Language Centre for students with stage fright
• Directing the student to a study psychologist: counselling in groups or individually
• Services provided by the FSHS
• Online discussions organised by student support organisation Nyyti

Students may have problems with attention or executive function for many reasons, the most common of which is ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). Challenges with studying are diverse, and each student’s circumstances are different.   

The problems often become pronounced if the environment contains many distractions, instructions are unclear or prolonged effort is required. Independent study often involves challenges associated with preparing a realistic study plan and proceeding accordingly, scheduling the time needed to complete assignments, completing assignments that require concentration and perseverance, or excessive immersion in interesting assignments.  

 Tools for teaching  

• Consider multisensory experience in all activities: present matters in writing and orally as well as physically by showing or doing, and use a variety of materials, such as text, image, video and audio.
• Distribute the lecture framework and material to students in advance.
• Provide clear and detailed information on the course structure, key dates, examination requirements and practical arrangements. Many students can benefit from intermediate goals and various ways of demonstrating their learning during courses, not just at their conclusion. If necessary, review the instructions and practices pertaining to studying with students in person.
• Include breaks and variation in longer presentations. Even students without attention-related traits are able to concentrate roughly 20 minutes at a time.
• If a student disturbs teaching through their hyperactivity or late arrival, the common rules should be explained to everyone. It may also be necessary to agree separately on them with the student. If a student interrupts with continuous questions, you can ask them to write down the things that come to their mind and return to them later. You should not take personally students’ impulsive or inconsiderate expression – you can always elaborate on and clarify things in a constructive manner.
• You can agree with students on their seats during teaching depending on what best supports their concentration. Students who are easily disturbed may find it best to sit in front of the lecture room. If their concentration is best supported by movement or self-stimulation (stimming) that maintains their alertness, the best place may be to one side or at the back, where movement is less likely to distract others.
• If necessary, allow the use of aids that support studying and recording audio for personal study purposes.

Tools for guidance and supervision   

• Ask students what kind of learning material and working methods support their learning. If available, discuss the methods suitable for them. For example, groupwork and conversations can make it easier to process matters and learn.   
• Encourage students to use a time management tool to support retention and planning.   
• Book follow-up visits to update their study plans, for example, at the end of the teaching period or academic year. Regular meetings provide continuity, enabling students to amend their plans based on their experiences and feedback. 
• In thesis supervision, pay attention to setting interim goals and scheduling work.    

Examples of individual arrangements   

If students need individual arrangements, you can ask them to apply for a recommendation. You can also consult a study psychologist.  

Typical arrangements include the following:  

• Additional time to complete examinations and submit assignments.   
• The opportunity to complete studies at a slower pace.
• A quiet or separate examination room for easily distracted students.
• Personal, regular PSP guidance.
• Justified alternative completion methods.  

 Attention-related support for students  

• Groups that support ability to study at the University of Helsinki   
• FSHS services
• Diverse learners’ association in Helsinki
• The Finnish ADHD association
• The ESOK accessibility project

Autism relates to how people communicate, how they sense and perceive the world around them, and how they interact with others. The effects of autism on studying are diverse, and each student’s circumstances are individual.  

In a study context, autism can affect initiating and completing assignments, controlling action, processing information, sensory sensitivity, attention span or stress sensitivity, and emotional regulation. In contact teaching, students may experience excessive stress, for example, because of sensory hypersensitivity, divided attention or masking (concealing) their natural traits.  Working in groups can be challenging. Students may need detailed and specific instructions to complete learning assignments. Unusual situations that require flexibility can be considerably stressful for students.   

Tools for teaching  

• Provide clear information on the course structure, key dates, examination requirements and practical arrangements.
• Be specific and concrete. Be proactive. If necessary, review the instructions and practices pertaining to studying before the course begins. Give students lecture summaries in advance. Break down large assignments into several components. Agree on clear deadlines and a precise schedule.
• If possible, use charts and figures instead of or alongside abstract concepts.
• Students benefit from a familiar group and clear group assignments.
• Try to minimise disruptions to teaching.  Students may benefit from regular seats in the lecture room (e.g., in the front row).
• Provide the opportunity to use earplugs or hearing protectors, or to listen to music using headphones.  

 Tools for guidance and supervision   

• You should talk with students about what stresses them most in their studies, as well as what supports their studying. It is also important to consider with them a reasonable number of credits to complete to avoid excessive strain.   
• When drawing up study plans, you should limit the number of stress factors by considering all the courses the student will be completing at the same time as a whole and alternative completion methods. Some studies can be completed, for example, in the summer, giving students more relief during the teaching periods.    
• It is important to many students to receive regular guidance and review their study plans with someone. At the same time, you can discuss any issues that remain unclear and review study practices.    
• In guidance and supervision situations, be patient and specific, discussing the matters at hand in detail.   
• Provide clear instructions and make sure students have understood them, for example, by asking how they intend to put them into practice.   

Examples of individual arrangements  

If students need individual arrangements, you can ask them to apply for a recommendation. You can also consult a study psychologist.  

Typical arrangements include the following:   

• Additional time to complete examinations and submit assignments.   
• The opportunity to complete studies at a slower pace.
• A quiet or separate examination room for easily distracted students.
• Personal, regular PSP guidance.
• Justified alternative completion methods.  

Difficulties in reading and writing can manifest in many ways, including slow reading and proneness to errors in writing. Students may find it challenging to remember long instructions or to simultaneously follow teaching and take notes at lectures.  For some students, such challenges manifest primarily when learning foreign languages.    

Tools for teaching  

• Teaching material should be known and available well in advance of teaching, enabling students to prepare.  
• During teaching, make time for students to read the assignments and take notes. Writing and listening at the same time is stressful.  
• Students may benefit from the teacher’s or another student’s notes.  
• Guide students to audiobooks and tell them about the extension to loan periods available from Helsinki University Library. Make sure that your teaching material is accessible.  
• If students are invited to write on the board, it is important to give them the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in another way too, such as showing the teacher a completed assignment. If a student makes spelling mistakes on the board, you should take an empathetic approach and correct the errors relevant to understanding.
• In English-language courses, you can offer Finnish-language support material for studying.  
• Tell students as early as possible about the options available for demonstrating their learning, such as oral presentations, examinations or learning assignments.

Tools for guidance and supervision   

• When preparing study plans, courses that require a great deal of reading or writing should be distributed throughout the academic year, to the extent possible.    
• If several concurrent courses involve a great deal of reading and writing, you should discuss with students what a reasonable amount of credits to complete would be to avoid excessive stress. Some studies can be completed, for example, in the summer, giving students more relief during the teaching periods.

Examples of individual arrangements   

If students need individual arrangements, you can ask them to apply for a recommendation. You can also consult a study psychologist.  

Typical arrangements include the following:  

• Additional time to complete examinations and the opportunity to use a computer.  
• Additional time to submit assignments or, if this is not possible, alternative completion methods, such as examinations. Students can be taking multiple simultaneous courses that require reading and writing, making additional time particularly necessary.  
• Justified alternative completion methods, such as oral examinations.  
• Intensified thesis supervision, where attention can be paid to readability.

Support for dyslexia

• Helsinki University Library’s services include information on extended loan periods and audiobooks
• ERI courses at the Language Centre as options for completing courses in a foreign language (English) and the second national language (Swedish)  
• Learning support centre of the Rehabilitation Foundation (in Finnish only)  
• Finnish Diverse Learners’ Association/Finnish Diverse Learners' Association of Helsinki

At some point in our lives, almost all of us experience psychological symptoms. For example, prolonged stress or sleep problems may temporarily impair the ability to function. Many psychological symptoms are transient. Some stages of life strain mental health more than others, and temporary mental malaise in difficult situations is normal.  

Research on the health and wellbeing of higher education students has shown psychological symptoms and stress to be more common among them than the average adult population. At times, psychological symptoms significantly impair functional capacity and day-to-day life, usually including studying.   

Tools for teaching, guidance and supervision  

• Prolonged stress and strain increase the mental burden of any student. Reasonable course workloads and assignments distributed over longer periods can help all students feel better.  
• Other people’s attitudes to mental health issues are essential.  As a teacher or supervisor, you need not know students’ diagnoses or whether they have any. Sensitivity and respect for students are key.  You should take up any concerns with students as early as possible.  
• If you seem to approach the limits of your professional role, you can consult a study psychologist or direct students to healthcare.  
• In the case of students with severe symptoms who need immediate help, call 112.

Examples of individual arrangements   

If students need individual arrangements, you can ask them to apply for a recommendation. You can also consult a study psychologist.  

Typical arrangements include the following:   

• The opportunity to complete studies at a slower pace.  
• Additional time to submit assignments or, if this is not possible, alternative completion methods, such as examinations.  
• Justified alternative completion methods, such as additional time to complete examinations and a quiet examination facility.

 Support for mental health problems   

Mental wellbeing in the Studies Service 

Students may have sensory disabilities and mobility impairments that affect their equitable opportunities to study. They may find that aspects of the learning environment, such as facilities, tools and practices, can pose specific challenges if insufficient attention is paid to their physical and digital accessibility. Anticipating such challenges and making learning environments increasingly accessible is important in teaching, guidance and supervision.    

If you are providing guidance to a student with, for example, a visual or hearing impairment or who needs mobility aids, it is important for them to receive information on courses and course material in advance. To provide accessible facilities, education coordinators need to know the student’s course selections early enough to be able to ensure the accessibility of the facilities and the student’s equitable opportunity to attend teaching. If certain audiobooks or special material are not already available in accessible form, requesting them can take months. In other words, discuss upcoming studies with the student and, if necessary, direct them to student advice.  

Tools for considering visual impairment in teaching

• You should discuss practices and instructions related to teaching with students in advance: what teaching entails, what assignments are included, what to do when, for example, requesting permission to speak (e.g., raising your hand).  
• Talk specifically about everything relevant, highlight listening, and do not ask students to look at the slides or the board.
• Organise teaching in the same room, to the extent possible.  
• If necessary, help students find the right lecture room.  
• Mark the relevant students’ names in the attendance list on their behalf.  
• Address students by name in the lecture room, such as when giving them permission to speak, so that students with visual impairments can hear when it is their turn.  
• Help students find a group in groupwork and exercises.  
• Make sure that all teaching material, including that produced by other students, is accessible.

Examples of individual arrangements   

• If necessary, be flexible in groupwork, especially if students have several simultaneous group assignments.  Provide the opportunity to substitute group assignments with other options.  
• Give additional time to submit assignments, especially if students must submit several assignments at once, as it takes more time than usual to complete them.  
• Be flexible in terms of course material: if a textbook is not available in accessible form, if possible give the chance to substitute equivalent material.  
• Deliver lecture slides and other material in advance as a text file (save PowerPoint presentations as RTF files), as images cause difficulty for people with visual impairments.  
• Explore the presentation venue with students before their presentations.  
• Consider visual impairment in functional situations, for example, if moving about in the lecture room is necessary.

Tools for considering hearing impairment in teaching  

• Practices related to teaching should be discussed with students in advance or no later than the beginning of the course, if necessary with the help of an interpreter, to give them the chance to describe their needs for support and arrangements.  
• Education coordinators and porters can help with special needs related to facilities.    
• Consider support needs related to facilities in teaching. Usually, the best place for students to sit is in the front of the room. From their seat, they should be able to see the teacher, the screen and the interpreter at the same time.
• Focus on visual information in teaching, present things in writing and orally, as well as physically by showing or doing. Use a variety of material, such as text, image or subtitled video. Important information and material must be available in writing.  
• Speak and state your points clearly, calmly and at your normal speech volume. Refrain from covering your mouth and speak towards the audience to facilitate lip reading.  
• Use a microphone in teaching and refrain from moving a lot and turning your head away from the microphone, reducing audio quality. A microphone is particularly useful, as it can be connected to hearing aids used by students.    
• If students use hearing aids, repeat other students’ comments to the microphone or hand the microphone to anyone who is speaking.    
• Give permission to speak clearly so that only one person speaks at a time. Summarise students’ comments when necessary.  
• Try to minimise disruptions in teaching by reducing background noise.  
• Take breaks. Students with hearing impairments need time to follow teaching and interpreting.  
• Deaf students attend teaching with the help of sign-language or print interpreting. You can talk with them via their interpreter. Speak directly to the student rather than to the interpreter, asking them, for example, “Do you have any questions?”

If Bachelor or Master students’ ability to study has declined for health reasons, they can request that a student health meeting be organised through the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS). Such meetings can also be proposed by University or FSHS staff, but the process can only begin with the student’s consent.   

In student health meeting, the student discusses with representatives of the University and the FSHS the most appropriate support measures for the student’s fitness for study. Medical information will not be discussed at the meeting unless the student so wishes. For further information on the objectives of student health meetings and the circumstances in which they can be organised, see the FSHS website.  

For instructions on how students can initiate student health meetings and fill in the form, see the section on healthcare services for students in the Studies Service.  

The University representative will be selected according to the student’s wishes, and they must be as familiar with the student’s circumstances as possible. Typically, the person participating in the meeting is, for example, a teacher, education coordinator or accessibility contact person. The University representative will always participate in the meeting remotely (via TEAMS).  

Representatives of the University participating in student health meetings  

• Announce their participation and contact details to the FSHS contact person and student after receiving a request for participation in a student health meeting.
• Exclude the student’s name from any calendar entries for student health meetings.
• If possible, meet the student before the student health meeting to survey the situation and, to follow up, one month after the meeting.
• Describe (if known) the forms of support the student has already received from the university and the forms of support still available. University representatives are not expected to comment on students’ health, but they can talk about, for example, the progress of their studies.
• Record nothing of the meeting, unless   
  • Individual arrangements are collaboratively considered in the meeting, in which case the accessibility contact person can draw up a recommendation on such arrangements. The student will receive a copy of the recommendation.
  • A study psychologist takes part in the student health meeting. They make entries on all meetings in a secure system, from which students will receive the entries on request.