Forced to Attend Lecture in Ambulance

It was the first day of University, autumn 2003, when the Quality

Reform requiring obligatory attendance was effective, that the student had to leave her hospital bed to which she had been committed for four weeks and show up on campus.

– I was told that I had to attend the first day of Uni, otherwise I would lose my student status. Consequently, I arrived by ambulance and was strapped to a wheelchair.

– At the end of the day, I was sent back to hospital by the same people who demanded that I was there in the first place. The reason being that I was too ill to be in school, the 27-year-old says who is gutted by the lack of understanding for students with chronic diseases shown by the University.

Disabled Dropping out

Strømsø Larsen explains that she averages between six and eight minour epileptic seizures every day. She has to stay at home more often compared to other students.

– My life is unpredictable. Making appointments is difficult, the student says. She underlines that she is coping fairly well compared to many others.

– A large number of students with hidden disabilities are dropping out because the Quality Reform is making it too difficult. The University of Oslo is not always aware of this happening since we are invisible. We are not bound to wheelchairs or canes.

– How can the University improve in looking after their interests ?

– They could organise the curriculum differently. We need to be backed up in a completely different manner. A tutor could have the responsibility for us, she says and adds that students should have a say in the matter as well.

Regretful

– This is not how we treat students. This should not happen. I hope that this is based on a misunderstanding, senior executive officer at the Department of Political Science Øyvind Colbjørnsen says, when confronted by Universitas.

He thinks that the Department needs to assess arrangements for the physically challenged in answer to the problem.

– We really don’t have any specific knowledge, and we are not trained. We co-operate with KFS (a service for disabled students) at the University and with our own Faculty. In addition, we regularly meet with our disabled students, he says.

One problem with making proper arrangements is that many students who need special attention do not wish to enroll as physically challenged. This is problematic for the various departments because they make their arrangements based on the information they receive from KFS.

– We depend on the communication with the students in question and admit that the numbers are higher than we expected, Colbjørnsen says.

– As a mere department, our influence is limited. However, we will be forthcoming and discuss alternative procedures, he promises.

Less Time to Prepare

– We know that many who need help do not tell us. Our experience is that students either want to make it on their own or avoid being labeled, leader of KFS Else Momrak Haugann says.

It is her opinion that the Quality Reform has resulted in less time to prepare for arrangements.

– If you are ill, it may be difficult to keep up with other students. Students have to be active, more so than before, she explains.

State Secretary for the Ministry of Education and Research Bjørn Haugstad (Høyre) holds that it is evident that students with such disabilities are entitled to individual arrangements. However, he also underlines that the Quality Reform aims to improve and effectuate the process for all students.

– We wish to focus on how the Quality Reform has influenced student life, thus we have asked NIFU Step to make a survey that brings up these matters. The report will be ready some time this autumn, Haugstad says.