Life as a Disabled Student

In this article you will read about the results from the survey conducted by Tuntreet about what it is like to live with a disability at NMBU, including an interview with Emilie Naphaug and her story.

Journalist: Marianne Skolbekken

Translator: Kjell Ertesvåg

Fotograf: Emilie Reistad

Illustratør: Rebecca Rehell Øistad og Victor Talgø Syvertsen

Could you tell us about yourself and why you are engaged in this discussion?

“Why, yes. My name is Emilie Naphaug, I am 25 years old, and I am in the fifth year of my degree, Water and Environmental Engineering. I am involved because I know what it’s like going from being able bodied to being permanently disabled. This made it difficult to return to my life as a student. I mainly suffer from movement problems, which means I have to use crutches, and sometimes a wheelchair. Personally I have felt lonely, and I wonder if anyone feels the same. Are there any other disabled people at NMBU? Do they experience difficulties of their own? Should we talk about it more? What is already working well at NMBU? I hope this survey, and this interview, could shed some light on these questions.”

Accommodation and Room for Improvement

Seven students with different disabilities took part in this survey. The numbers don’t necessarily represent the whole picture, but they do give us a certain level of insight. In this survey, they answered whether they feel that NMBU properly accommodates their needs. Several of them responded positively, having been given more time to complete their exams, while others, like those with hearing disabilities, experienced that certain lecturers did not want to use a microphone.

When I asked Emilie about the same thing, she said: ‘Both yes and no. NMBU is generally pretty good, at universal design, and there is a lot of good that comes from studying at NMBU. The buildings have wheelchair accessibility, with the exception of a couple heavy doors. Mandatory field trips on the other hand have been more troublesome, with a lack of accomodation and information. I directly asked about how far we are going and where we are heading, and about what kind of terrain we’ll go through: asphalt, grass, etc. I don’t always get the answer I need, or the guidance I need to get access to the same materials and education my classmates have.”

Regarding what can be done to improve the conditions at NMBU, Emilie said, “Yes, maybe they could get better at improving the individual accomodation we receive. There is one person, Bodil Norderval, who works on universal access, who has helped me a ton. It would have been nice if we had more people like that. She told me that SiÅs has considered establishing a fund for disabled students, but the project fell through. I hope they’ll reconsider it.”

Other students talk about what could be done to improve the 10-credit courses, instead of the 5-credit ones. “Less obligatory and more freedom, more information about support at NMBU, and more economic resources for the Disability and Special Needs Office (DSNO).” The decidedly most popular response was that they wanted better communication about their rights and accommodations.

Communication and Rights

Emilie describes it ‘like being a ball tossed between SIT, DSNO, her doctor, and NAV’ in her attempt to find out more about her rights. She then talked about how others “easily deprioritized me and handed the “problem” over to someone else. I felt isolated in it all.” She is not alone in this. Everyone who partook in the survey answered ‘no’ when asked: Do you feel like NMBU has done a proper job of informing you of what rights you have as a student with a disability?

One person described the task of finding out what rights you have as ‘more work for students who initially must use more time because of their disability’. Lecturers and other employees should increase the information level and understanding for students with specific needs, so that they won’t have to ask for accommodations themselves. In the survey there were diabetics who did not find enough information about what options they have for eating or drinking when studying in a lab setting, or on a field trip. The students with dyslexia also had to find out on their own how to get the added time they needed to complete their exams - after the exam period was over.

Tips and Advice

It’s not hard to see why the students who partook in the survey, including Emilie herself, want to inform others about what could help. Here is a list of some of their advice:

Join Dysleksi Follo, a recently established organization for students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and certain language difficulties (it is also open for people with other disabilities)
If you have a disability that makes it so you can’t have a part-time job, ask Statens Lånekasse for an extra stipend
Utdanning.no has an overview of the options and rights you have at the different universities around the country
Universell.no has a list of people to contact for students with disabilities at each study place.
The Disability and Special Needs Office at NMBU. They will assist your official requests for both instruction and exam accommodations (requires a medical certificate)
NAV: For work and trip-related transport (for those who need transport assistance)
Take contact with whoever is course responsible and your study advisor, if you have any specific needs. They can evaluate challenges and find solutions. It’s a good idea to do this early.
If you have moved far from home, we recommend getting a doctor in Ås, that way you won’t have to deal with a potential long wait at the urgent care center.
NHFU (The Norwegian Association for Handicapped Youths.) A social network that offers information and support.

Speaking of social networks, it might be a good idea to create a local one for disabled students here at NMBU. Many of the participants are positive to the idea and desire one. A couple have said they feel lonely or excluded due to their disability.

And finally, Emilie, do you have any life hacks you could share with other students in a similar situation?

“When going to bed at night, try saying “I am proud of myself.” It could be for something significant, or minor, like having cooked your own meals. For most people, being able to do something that simple is a given. But what is a normal varies from person to person. Also take a moment to appreciate how amazing and fascinating the human body is. Think about everything it does for you automatically, like pumping blood and adjusting itself to new environments.”

Comments from NMBU, student director Ole-Jørgen Torp

First I’ll have to say I’m proud that Tuntreet is shedding light on this issue (…) Feedback is important, since it improves knowledge and awareness. I’m also glad that Emilie feels she is getting the help she needs. We take our feedback seriously, like how we’ve been told it is difficult to find information about rights. You can find information here, and here

NMBU has seen an increasing need for both individual guidance, and more accommodation. This is an important task that needs to receive more attention going forward, but it also needs better resources. In 2021, the principal implemented a plan to both improve universal access, and strengthen the teaching environment over a five-year period between 2021 and 2026. Certain areas are prioritized, and the measures will be implemented in 2023. For every measure and activity there will be defined a unit (faculties and/or department) which is mainly or partly responsible for ensuring they are properly concretised and followed up in order to reach the subsidiary goals. The Learning Environment Committe has been assigned the responsibility of ensuring that faculties and subdivisions follow up subsidiary goals and measures. (health and accomodation, universal design). We focus a lot on this, but there is still room for improvement.

Comment from SiÅs regarding the fund mentioned in the article, by CEO Pål M. Løken

Hello, I don’t know which story about potential fund you’re talking about, so I need more information about it if I’m going to make a comment.