Students With Disabilities Unit

Boğaziçi University aims to create a university community within the university campuses, which is easily accessible for everyone, including individuals with disabilities, and which encourages maximum participation.  The university is making necessary arrangements to enable students with disabilities to access easily all programs and activities offered to students, and is conducting studies aimed at encouraging their active participation in all events that will support their social development.  In the university, there is Students with Disabilities Unit, and Assistive Technology and Education Laboratory for Individuals with Visual Disabilities (GETEM), directly attached to the Rector’s Office.

 

Students with Disabilities Unit

Students with Disabilities Unit is the service unit that aims to enable all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at Boğaziçi University to benefit fully, freely, and equally from all academic, social and physical opportunities and services offered by the university, and easily access all such events and activities.  The Unit meets the needs of students with disabilities; determines the obstacles they might face during their studies and the measures that need to be taken; offers suggestions to eliminate the obstacles; and makes the necessary adjustments.   Below are the duties of the unit:

i.        to cooperate with faculty members, departments and faculties for necessary adjustments to the students’ course and exam programs in accordance with their disabilities,

ii.      to determine the needs of students regarding dormitories, scholarships, and health services, and develop ways to resolve them,

iii.    to prepare individual ‘adaptation letters’ about students’ academic needs (collecting information about arrangements in the educational environment and methods in line with students’ needs and their particular disability) in coordination with the student and the faculty member teaching the course,

iv.    to research and determine, in cooperation with other units, the equipment that should either be obtained by the student for his/her own use, or purchased by the university for common use, depending on the type of disability.

 

Assistive Technology and Education Laboratory for Individuals with Visual Disabilities (GETEM)

GETEM has been established to provide audio and electronic book service and offer laboratory services for students with visual disabilities by means of its e-library.  GETEM also performs management and secretarial work for the Students with Disabilities Unit.

The needs of students with disabilities vary in accordance with the type of disability they have.  The university has the following services to meet these differing needs:

 

General Services For Students with Disabilities:

·      providing health care service through the Health Center,

·      allowing priority to students with disabilities as to placement in dormitories,

·      in case the student has trouble in accessing a classroom, changing the location of the course, in cooperation with the Registrar’s Office,

·      assigning priority in granting of scholarships, with the cooperation of the Financial Aid Coordination Office;  organizing a support system where students on need-based scholarships support students with disabilities,

·      organizing part-time student assistants to provide support,

·      special diet meals, with the help of Food Services Unit,

·      professional development and personal counseling services, with the help of BUREM and BUPAM,

·      arrangements for physical access, in cooperation with the Construction and Maintenance Department,

·      arrangements for emergencies,

·      support in organizing test locations.

In addition to the general services, the university also offers services specific to the type of disability.  Examples of such services are listed below:

 

For students with visual disabilities:

Reading support via audio reading, note-takers in classes, library and laboratory assistance provided by the library and GETEM, provision of materials in alternative forms (for example, e-texts, or texts in Braille alphabet) and internet-based materials by GETEM, and Campus Orientation and “Independent Movement” training, and audio reading/study rooms in the library, with support from GETEM and the library.

 

For students with physical disabilities:

Assistance in physical access to laboratories, possibility of free movement on campus by wheelchairs or other mobility devices, rearrangement of the locations of classes and other activities in line with the student’s disability, or changing the location where a rearrangement is not possible.

 

For the hearing-impaired students:

Note-takers in classes or video recording assistance, translator support, tele-conference systems.

 

For students with Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or learning disabilities:

Note-takers in classes, arrangement of examination conditions.

 

For students with psychiatric or psychological problems:

Psychiatric support by the Health Center, psychological assistance from BUPAM and/or BUREM.

 

Contact information for Students with Disabilities Unit and GETEM
Tel.:  0(212) 359 7538 / 7659
Office:  North Campus, Park Building, 1st Floor
Web:  www.getem.boun.edu.tr
e-mail:  geteminfo@boun.edu.tr