‘Education must be accessible for everyone’

“Under functional impairment we understand any condition that hinders you in your daily functions. These could be neurodiverse conditions like ADD, ADHD, autism or dyslexia, or a visual impairment, blindness, hearing impairment, deafness, chronic illnesses, functional motor limitations, or mental health issues. 

Student Onbeperkt brings TU Delft students with a functional impairment into contact with each other, advises TU Delft on the policy concerning studying with a functional impairment, and is a source of information for students and teachers. The platform is really there for the students. It is a safe place where they can talk about the difficulties of studying with a functional impairment without feeling like they are exaggerating.

It has a WhatsApp group in which people can ask questions or receive advice, as well as a group to simply chat. We also regularly study together on campus. There is also a Discord (an online communications platform, Eds.) for the people who prefer to study at home. At present, Student Onbeperkt has 150 members, 50 of whom are really active.

‘The platform is an important step towards more inclusive education’

Student Onbeperkt’s objective is for every student with a functional impairment to feel at home at and fully take part in TU Delft. The platform is an important step towards more inclusive education as education must be accessible for everyone. In this day and age, it is not acceptable for students with a functional impairment to have the feeling that they cannot do something as, with just a minor adjustment, they can do a lot.

It makes me feel good that Student Onbeperkt is gaining greater visibility and is having more of an influence at TU Delft. The platform has close contact with the Student Council. They discuss any concerns with the members of the Executive Board. Student Onbeperkt thus proactively gives its input on the things that they come up against and find important.

But influence at a small scale is valuable too. Through the platform we help students with things like applying for a BSA (binding recommendation on continuation of studies) extension or we explain how they can request extra exam time. I learn a lot too, such as about other functional impairments and the problems that these bring. In the end, everyone is dealing with the same things. We all struggle with energy management and processing stimuli. Through Student Onbeperkt you also lean about the strong sides of your functional impairment. It is good to have a place where it is easy to talk about your struggles. This makes Student Onbeperkt one big family.

I myself have ADHD. I think fast and am a little chaotic. I sometimes find it hard to pay attention. I always have to give more and work harder, especially in theoretical subjects. After a couple of years at TU Delft, I recently moved to higher professional education. I am now studying industrial product design at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. A practical oriented course suits me a lot better. I am enjoying studying again.”