Students with disabilities
People with physical or mental disabilities or chronic illnesses may face a range of challenges and obstacles during their studies. The University of Lucerne is committed to removing these barriers and compensating for any resulting disadvantages.
The Office of Equal Opportunitiesprovides information, advice and individual assessments for prospective and current students with a disability. Lecturers and staff are also welcome to contact the Office with any questions on accessible study and the compensation of disadvantages.
The Office works closely with the student advisory services and the relevant departments within the faculties.
The aim of disability support is to enable students with a disability and/or chronic illness to complete their studies on an equal footing, under adapted conditions and with adapted examinations or assessments.
To this end, the University of Lucerne has adopted guidelines for the provision of support to compensate for disadvantages.
Information and advice on reasonable adjustments
Students can contact the Office of Equal Opportunities with any questions regarding support measures. Advice is strictly confidential. Information will never be passed on to third parties without the consent of the person seeking advice.
Deadlines
Standard deadlines apply for applications:
Autumn semester (AS): 15 October; Spring semester (SS): 15 March
Procedure
Students wishing to apply for support to compensate for disadvantages should note the guidelines set out above. The application must be submitted in writing to the relevant authorities within the faculty of your main subject or the faculties of your integrated degree programme:
- Faculty of Theology: for the attention of the Director of Studies at studienleitung-tf@unilu.ch
- Faculty of Cultural and Social Sciences: for the attention of the Examination Board at ksf@unilu.ch
- Faculty of Law: for the attention of the Examination Delegate at pruefungen-rf@unilu.ch
- Faculty of Economics: for the attention of the Programme Representative at studienberatung-wf@unilu.ch
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine: for the attention of the Programme and Examination Committee at bsc-gmf@unilu.ch, masterhealth@unilu.ch or medizin@unilu.ch
- Faculty of Behavioural Sciences and Psychology: for the attention of the Academic Delegate at studienberatung-vpf@unilu.ch
The application must be submitted only to the faculty of the main subject/degree programme.
The physical environment of everyday university life – such as steps, large lecture halls with many distractions, or small font sizes – can become insurmountable barriers for people with disabilities. The University of Lucerne is committed to reducing and eliminating physical, technical and digital barriers.
On the Accessibility website, you will find all the information you need about the University of Lucerne's buildings and infrastructure for people with visual or hearing impairments, as well as for those with reduced mobility.
If you have any questions or encounter any problems, please contact the Office of Equal Opportunities. The contact person is Fleur Weibel, fleur.weibel@unilu.ch
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) calls for an inclusive education system to be guaranteed at all levels. The removal of barriers, the promotion of equal participation for all students and the elimination of discrimination are at the heart of inclusion-sensitive higher education teaching. Inclusive higher education teaching is based on students' learning; in other words, it is student-centred and takes into account the diverse composition of the student body.
Swissuniability provides guidance sheets to help lecturers design their teaching in an inclusive manner, thereby enabling barrier-free learning for all students. The guidance sheets contain advice on how to take different disabilities into account in higher education teaching and offer an initial guide for lecturers.
Guidance sheets to support accessible higher education teaching
Studying with hearing impairments
Studying with visual impairments
Studying with dyslexia/LRS (reading and spelling difficulties)
Only one-fifth of disabilities are visible in everyday life. The majority of disabilities or chronic conditions are not apparent at first glance. These invisible disabilities include, for example, deafness, autism spectrum disorders, internal organ conditions, depression, anxiety, migraines and dementia.
Because these disabilities are not apparent to outsiders, those affected often face a lack of understanding and additional barriers in their daily lives. Having to fight against this and explain their situation is exhausting and stressful. A recognisable symbol such as the "Sunflower Lanyard" – a green lanyard with a sunflower motif – can help break down these barriers. Wearing the Sunflower Lanyard can help ensure that those around you react with greater patience and understanding, allow more time, or offer targeted assistance.
The Sunflower Lanyard discreetly signals that the person has an invisible disability. It is a voluntary means of identification designed to promote communication and understanding. In countries such as the UK, Germany and the US, the Sunflower Lanyard is already well established – at airports, in supermarkets and in government offices. In Switzerland, the symbol is still less well known, but has been gaining ground since its nationwide introduction by SBB.
How should I respond if someone is wearing a Sunflower Lanyard?
The Sunflower Lanyard indicates that someone may need more time, may require support and, above all, needs understanding. Ask the person whether and how they would like to be supported – the need for support can vary greatly. Staff and students at the University of Lucerne can find out more from the Office of Equal Opportunities.
Where can I get a Sunflower Lanyard?
Since March 2026, the Sunflower Lanyard has been available free of charge at all SBB travel centres. No certificate or diagnosis is required to obtain one. Anyone with an invisible disability can choose to wear the Sunflower Lanyard.
For students with a disability, the ZHB can offer the following services in the University and Teacher Training College building:
- Students with a visual impairment can borrow reference materials for two days and work on them at home using their own technical equipment. Please register directly at the counter.
- For students with a visual impairment, the ZHB offers a fee reduction of CHF 3.00 on photocopying orders: CHF 2.00 (instead of CHF 5.00) is charged per item or per 20 pages. This discount can be applied when placing a photocopying order or, for frequent orders, directly via the library system.
- Unfortunately, it is not possible to reserve standard reference works, as these are required around the clock, particularly during the exam period. Please speak to a member of staff at the counter, and they will try to locate the required work for you.
Please do not hesitate to speak to the library staff. For students with a disability, Ruth Bucheli, Head of User Services at the Uni/PH building, is the ZHB's direct point of contact for the University.
Pro Infirmis has published a guide to legal matters which, among other things, addresses issues relating to financial support during initial vocational training or further training.
1) Information on higher education and disability is available on the swissuniability website.
2) General information on disabilities and chronic illnesses can be found on the EnableMe website.
3) Information on studying with autism can be found on the Autism&Uni website run by the University of Fribourg.
4) Further information is available on the website of the Federal Office for the Equality of People with Disabilities (EGBG).
As part of the "All inclusive!?: Studying without barriers" campaign (HS18 leaflet and FS19 leaflet), five profiles have been produced featuring (former) students at the University of Lucerne. They talk about their experiences and how they managed their studies while living with a disability. The campaign was carried out in collaboration with various stakeholders at the University of Lucerne. The full brochure can be downloaded here.
Flurina Bezzola
Flurina Bezzola is from Pontresina and is in her ninth semester of a bachelor's degree in cultural studies, majoring in sociology. In her spare time, the 33-year-old can often be found on skis, and she is also involved in politics. Living with dyslexia and ADHD, she is successfully completing her degree.
Bernarda Brunovic
In her spare time, the 26-year-old needs to “always have something going on” – be it sport, reading or, above all, music. She plays the piano and loves singing more than anything. She is currently in her 10th semester at the University of Lucerne, working towards her degree in theology through a distance-learning programme. Bernarda Brunovic is severely visually impaired and completely blind in one eye.
Siri Anesini
Siri Anesini, aged 27, from Malans (GR), studied law at the University of Lucerne and graduated in 2017. She describes herself as a keen reader and has a great passion for music. Due to a spinal condition (spina bifida), she uses a wheelchair.
Sebastian Sutter
Sebastian Sutter, aged 26, lives in Udligenswil. He graduated with a degree in law from the University of Lucerne in 2016 and subsequently qualified as a solicitor. In his spare time, he enjoys reading books, going for a swim or playing the keyboard. Due to a visual impairment, Sebastian Sutter is almost blind in his left eye and can only read slowly with his right eye (tunnel vision).
Nagesh Beltramini
Nagesh Beltramini lives in Rothenburg and, in the autumn semester of 2017, successfully completed a combined degree in history with a minor in musicology at the universities of Lucerne and Zurich. He also makes music in his spare time, playing the piano and the saxophone. The 28-year-old has been blind since birth; later, he developed a progressive hearing impairment.
