How to request accommodations
Students who receive accommodations on their home campus can often receive similar accommodations at DIS.
Learn how to make accommodation requests.
If you would like to learn more, email us.
Academic accommodations
Previous students have received accommodations including assistance with note taking, extra time for tests, program modification for religious observances, or a reduced credit load. Note that most courses allow you to demonstrate your knowledge through presentations, papers, and projects as opposed to timed, in-class, closed-book exams.
Reading technology (including braille printers or captioning), audio versions of course materials, and interpreting services for deaf and hard of hearing students are generally not available through DIS. Past students have provided their own or partnered with their home schools to provide these needs. Reach out to DIS early to discuss options.
Housing accommodations
DIS students have a number of choices for housing and the ability to accommodate specific needs will differ depending on housing preferences.
Though DIS has been able to accommodate documented accommodation needs for single rooms, private kitchens, mini-fridge for medication storage, approval for emotional support or service animals, and private bathrooms, our ability to do so is limited by the number of rooms that provide this option.
Learn about our support and service animal policy.
Copenhagen housing
Housing options are spread throughout the Copenhagen area, and there are a few kollegiums and Residential Communities that have elevators. However, no housing options in the center of the city/near DIS have elevators, so elevator access comes with a commute.
Stockholm housing
Housing options are spread throughout the Stockholm area. All Residential Communities, Living and Learning Communities, and Studentboende have elevators, but all require a commute via public transportation to DIS.
Meals
Most students have to cook, pack, or purchase their own meals. Find more information on meal inclusions for semester and summer students.
Learn about resources for student with dietary accommodation needs.
Physical and mobility accommodations
DIS Stockholm buildings
DIS consists of administrative offices and classrooms in one building shared with a local university.
The main doors into the building are accessible via ramp and with electronic doors. Floors throughout the building include tactile markers and signs include Braille. All parts of DIS Stockholm are accessible by elevator.
Students enrolled in a course that requires learning in spaces outside of DIS should discuss those facilities in detail with DIS.
DIS Copenhagen buildings
DIS consists of administrative offices, classrooms, and a library which are within a few blocks of each other in central Copenhagen.
Many of these buildings do not have elevators, and it is not possible to install elevators as the buildings are listed as Danish National Heritage buildings.
Most staircases are steeper than you may be used to in the U.S., and sometimes it is necessary to climb many flights of stairs to reach a destination. There are no wheelchair ramps leading into or within DIS Copenhagen buildings.
Students enrolled in a course that requires learning in spaces outside of DIS should discuss those facilities in detail with DIS.
Urban spaces and public transit
Living and traveling in Europe requires more walking than in most parts of the U.S.
Both Copenhagen and Stockholm are hundreds of years old, with many historically well-preserved cobblestoned streets and narrow sidewalks. While neither are perfectly accessible, Copenhagen and Stockholm each have some infrastructure to help accommodate people with auditory, visual, and physical disabilities.
Copenhagen
- Curb cuts exist throughout Copenhagen, but not consistently, and wheelchair ramps are rare
- There are traffic signals at major crosswalks in Copenhagen, many of which have auditory signal, but not all
- Many buildings have steep stairs and elevators are nearly non-existent outside of hotels and shopping malls
- All students have a commute between housing and class, either by walking, biking, or using public transit. Many train stations in Denmark have elevators or are otherwise accessible. Although buses are technically wheelchair accessible, some students have reported that service is not consistently provided by drivers. Buses announce stops with auditory cues, though typically only in Danish. For additional details, refer to DOT’s accessibility resources.
Stockholm
- Curb cuts exist throughout Stockholm, but not consistently. Wheelchair ramps are common, though not consistently available
- There are traffic signals at major crosswalks in Stockholm, many of which have auditory signals
- Many buildings, both old and new, have steep stairs. Often newer buildings are equipped with elevators
- All students have a commute (walking, biking, or by public transit) between housing and class. Most buses are wheelchair accessible, though rural routes may have limited options. For more information, check out SL’s resource on accessibility.
Participating in Field Studies and Study Tours
Academic excursions such as Field Studies and Study Tours can be particularly challenging for students with mobility disabilities as they involve travel, tight schedules, and extensive walking around cities, museums, and historical sites.
Reach out to DIS early to discuss options for accommodations.
Mobility International USA
Past DIS students have also collaborated with Mobility International USA (MIUSA), who provide advising services and online resources for American students with disabilities who want to study abroad.
Hear from a past student
Hear from Carden, a former DIS student, about studying abroad with cerebral palsy.
