The University Grants Commission (UGC) has outlined a range of academic and institutional support measures for students with intellectual disabilities, specific learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder pursuing higher education.
To promote inclusive and accessible learning, the UGC recommends providing focused tasks, assistive writing tools, transition support, flexible assignment options, and scheduled breaks to help students participate effectively in academic activities.
According to the guidelines, learning support is a key component of pedagogy. Higher education institutions should ensure that students with disabilities receive reasonable accommodation and additional support to complete their education successfully.
The UGC states that teachers and other stakeholders should be sensitised to the needs of persons with disabilities. To achieve this, institutions are advised to conduct orientation programmes and adopt several support measures.
Institutional Support Measures Recommended By UGC
The UGC recommends that higher education institutions:
- Offer a wide range of courses to meet diverse learning needs.
- Provide opportunities for work-based learning and apprenticeships.
- Arrange 'discrete provision' in a more supportive learning environment to address individual needs, including a higher staff-to-student ratio where required.
- Provide career counselling and placement support.
- Facilitate access to financial assistance, including scholarships, concessions, and other benefits offered by the Central and state governments and other agencies.
- Enable learning from home through e-learning and distance education where attending campus is difficult.
- Provide residential training facilities.
- Include dedicated sessions during orientation programmes and faculty development initiatives to sensitise academic staff on engaging with Divyangjan and students with specific learning disabilities.
Conduct video-based awareness programmes for students without disabilities to encourage appropriate behavioural practices while interacting with Divyangjan and students with specific learning disabilities.
Assistive Devices Support
The UGC states that assistive devices play a vital role in supporting the learning needs of students with disabilities. The type of assistive device required depends on an individual's disability and specific educational needs.
Support for Students with Physical Disabilities
The guidelines recommend:
Support for motor, fine-motor, locomotor, and non-locomotor functioning.
- Assistance with seating, mobility, transfers, and ambulation.
- Help with manipulating objects, turning pages, writing with a pen or pencil, typing on a keyboard, and accessing study materials.
- Preferential seating to facilitate participation in classroom activities.
- Assistance in using campus infrastructure and information and communication technology (ICT).
Support For Acid Attack Survivors
The UGC recommends:
- Support for speech and communication.
- Assistance with hand movements and manipulation.
- Additional support for visual impairment wherever required.
- Preferential seating during classroom activities.
- Assistance in accessing infrastructure and ICT facilities.
Support for Students with Cerebral Palsy
Recommended support includes:
- Assistance with sitting, mobility, transfers, and ambulation.
- Help with writing, typing, turning pages, handling study materials, and manipulating objects.
- Preferential or adapted seating arrangements.
- Support for self-care and daily living skills.
- Special seating furniture for posture correction and pain relief.
- Speech and communication support.
- Assistance in using infrastructure and ICT.
Support For Leprosy-Cured Persons
The guidelines recommend:
- Assistance with writing, typing, turning pages, handling study materials, and manipulating objects.
- Support for visual limitations.
- Assistance to address mobility, speech, and communication challenges.
- Preferential seating during teaching-learning activities.
- Assistance in accessing infrastructure and ICT.
Support for Students with Short Stature (Dwarfism)
Recommended measures include:
- Support with seating and mobility.
- Assistance for associated vision, hearing, speech, or physical disabilities.
- Preferential seating during classroom activities.
- Assistance in using infrastructure and ICT.
Support for students with muscular dystrophy
The UGC recommends:
- Assistance with sitting, mobility, transfers, and ambulation.
- Support to address limitations in speech and communication.
- Read the complete UGC Guidelines here.