People with and without disabilities are active at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. These are primarily our students and employees, but also members of cooperating institutions and pupils.
Disabilities are diverse in their manifestations and can overlap: moving, hearing, speaking, seeing, mental, chronic, partial performance disorder, etc.
The aim of inclusion at the HSZG is to establish good conditions for unrestricted participation in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) at our locations in Zittau and Görlitz.
The situation of students with disabilities and chronic illnesses at German universities has been regularly surveyed and discussed in the so-called best studies(beeinträchtigt studieren) since 2013, 2018 and most recently in the best3 study 2023 (publisher: Deutsches Zentrum für Hochschul- und Wissenschaftsforschung).
The HSZG has defined important topics and goals for the implementation of inclusion with its 1st Inclusion Action Plan, which was first adopted by the Senate in 2018. An Inclusion Steering Committee formed for this purpose has since worked with the university community to implement a number of measures.
The 2nd Inclusion Action Plan of the HSZG, commissioned by the Rectorate and presented to the Senate in January 2024, describes the measures for the period up to 2030. They form the basis for the work of the Inclusion Working Group.
Below you will find detailed information on the implementation of inclusion at our university.
In January 2024, the 2nd Action Plan 2030 was presented to the Senate of the HSCG. It replaces the 1st Inclusion 2025 Action Plan from 2018.
The 2nd Action Plan addresses perspectives and legal frameworks for the inclusion of people with disabilities and chronic illnesses at the HSCG.
It contains a plan of action in the fields of action:
The Inclusion Working Group has been given the lead responsibility for implementing the Inclusion Action Plan. The members meet at least once a semester.
Current members of the working group are
Christoph Matthias Duscha, Registrar: kanzler(at)hszg.de
Prof. Michael Kaspar, Faculty of Management and Cultural Studies: m.kaspar(at)hszg.de
Dr. Jürgen Scheibler, Representative for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses: j.scheibler(at)hszg.de
Uta Jahnich, Inclusion Officer of the employer (SGB IX): u.jahnich(at)hszg.de
Robert Viertel, employee for inclusion: r.viertel(at)hszg.de
N.N. Representative of the curative education/inclusion studies program
N.N. Student representatives
"The earlier the better"
We recommend that applicants with or without disabilities find out about the procedures and special features of the respective degree program before they start their studies. This does not require lengthy internet research, as our contact persons are available to answer all questions by phone, email or chat.
Our contact persons provide information and advice on topics such as
Further link to the counseling services and contacts
Workplace equipment that promotes movement is essential for everyday working life. Standing up frequently, climbing stairs and walking to the photocopier mobilize the musculoskeletal system.
The working day in the office is supported by workplace equipment that promotes movement, e.g. height-adjustable desks, back-friendly seats, standing desks, activation of the musculoskeletal system.
Employees with disabilities can receive assistive devices that are directly adapted to their personal needs. This does not require a proven degree of disability.
The questions of "What is available?", "How can it be provided?" and "Who pays what share?" are discussed in advance. The HSZG contacts for this are
The task of the Studentenwerke in the Free State of Saxony is the social, economic, health and cultural support and promotion of students (§ 109 para. 4 SächsHSFG).
The Studentenwerke take into account the special needs of students with children, disabled students and foreign students and promote the compatibility of studies and family. The services include low-cost lunches in the canteens, the rental of (barrier-free) accommodation as well as advice and financial support services.
Tip: Students with disabilities are recommended to seek social counseling from Studentenwerk Dresden and the Informations- u. Beratungsstelle Studium und Behinderung (IBS) of the Deutsches Studentenwerk before or during the application process for a place at university. This can make the start of your studies easier.
Further link to studying with a disability or chronic illness
Further link to barrier-free living in the student residences of the Studentenwerk Dresden
Further link to Information and Advice Center Studies and Disability (IBS) of the Deutsches Studierendenwerk
The EUTB® is a counseling service offered by Görlitz für Familie e.V. for the district of Görlitz. At the advice centers in Görlitz, Zittau, Niesky and Weißwasser, people with and without disabilities as well as relatives and loved ones receive support for their equal participation.
The topics addressed by those seeking advice include
Expert advice at the place of study on financial support and the specific provision of rehabilitation services and aids is extremely important. This also includes making contact with transportation services, educational aids (e.g. sign language interpreters, study assistants, reading assistants), technical aids (PC, dictation machine, etc.) and others.
Advice is provided as required in the advice centers, by telephone, e-mail or at home. An important aim of the consultation is to clarify the assumption of costs by the health insurance company, local social welfare office, pension insurance provider and the Saxony Municipal Social Association (KSV).
Further link to Görlitz für Familie e.V.
When applying for an admission-restricted degree program (Numerus Clausus, NC for short), applicants with a disability or chronic illness have the opportunity to improve their chances of admission to the university.
This application results in preferential consideration of your desired place of study. It is required if a specific place of study is necessary for the course.
A certain number of study places are "reserved" for hardship cases. With this application you obtain immediate admission to the course. The application must be accompanied by a medical certificate.
If you wish to indicate that you have received a lower grade in your university entrance qualification due to a disability or chronic illness, this application should be used. A certified copy of the school report and a report from the school must be enclosed with the application. The school report should describe very precisely why the disability had an impact on the lower grade.
If the higher education entrance qualification was achieved later due to the disability or chronic illness, this application must be used. This means that a school year that had to be repeated due to the disability can be compensated for by a shorter waiting time for a university place.
Further link to the application and admission procedure at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
Students with disabilities or chronic illnesses usually have increased additional financial needs. However, as the money does not come from a single source, but from various cost bearers, it is not an easy task to find your way through this jungle. However, before tapping into private funds, you should check whether BaföG, social welfare offices, health insurance companies,... or even foundations can cover additional study-related expenses.
Further link to the Information and Advice Center for Studies and Disability (IBS) of the Deutsches Studierendenwerk
Students have the right to present their disadvantages in the examination process due to a disability or chronic illness and to have them compensated for by appropriate assistance.
The application for compensation for disadvantages in the examination procedure relates to examination or preliminary examination work. Compensation is not granted as a lump sum, but individually and in accordance with the respective disadvantages. It is irrelevant for the application whether the impairment has been officially determined (no degree of disability required). Thus, for example, chronic illnesses and temporary physical or psychological impairments can also lead to compensation for disadvantages.
The university's Disability Officer will advise you on the application process if required. The application should be submitted to the chair of the faculty's examination board at least four weeks before the examination period. A later application is possible in individual cases if the specific impairment has occurred at short notice. It is the student's duty to cooperate in providing all necessary documents and evidence in due time and form.
The Examination Board will inform you by email how the application will be dealt with.
Compensation for disadvantages can be Extension of time for written examinations (in percentage or minutes), permission to use certain aids (e.g. working on the examination using a PC), provision of a separate examination room, break time regulations, adaptation of examination documents (e.g. font size), alternative examination form, non-assessment of spelling and punctuation, permission for assistance by a third party (e.g. sign language interpreter, reading or writing assistants).
Some basic aids, such as readers or notebooks, are available at the university and can be provided on request.
Download the application for compensation for disadvantages in the examination procedure (PDF)
Students can take a leave of absence from their studies for up to two semesters for important reasons. These important reasons can also be due to a disability or chronic illness. If you are taking such a leave of absence from your studies, please refer to the information page of our university with the information and documents provided there.
Further link to the semester of leave
The HSZG International Office offers advice and support in connection with a stay abroad.
If you are unsure whether a stay abroad is an option for you due to an impairment, we will be happy to inform you about possible funding programs. We will then discuss the best options with you. A preparatory trip may also be useful so that you can explore the study and working conditions at the partner institution directly on site before your stay.
The "Erasmus+" program in particular includes various financial support options. You can find initial information on this in the FAQ section of our website under the question: Who can apply for special funding?
You can also find helpful information on the websites of the DAAD and the Deutsches Studentenwerk. In any case, you should contact us at least one year before the start of your stay so that we can provide you with the best possible support in your preparations.
Link to the International Office of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
Link to the Information and Advice Center for Studies and Disability (IBS) of the Deutsches Studierendenwerk
The HSZG has rooms with special equipment features, e.g. quiet zones, streaming technology for mobile devices, reading devices in the university library.
Furthermore, so-called aids serve to compensate for or minimize disability-related disadvantages in everyday university life.
There are also courses in university sports that are inclusive per se.
Assistive devices:
Equipment:
For students and staff with visual or hearing impairments, accessible documents, websites, administrative IT, web conferences and other applications enable equal participation in everyday university life.
These applications must meet certain criteria in the preparation of the text structure (menu navigation, headings, graphics, tables, etc.) so that content can be reproduced with appropriate reading and other devices.
The specifications for this digital accessibility can be found in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1), on which the Barrier-free Information Technology Ordinance (BITV 2.0) is also based.
The national regulations are decisive for the practical implementation of digital accessibility for public bodies, i.e. the Federal Disability Equality Act (BGG) and the BITV 2.0 for federal public bodies. The federal states are responsible for public bodies at state level: Saxony has regulated barrier-free information technology in Section 9 of the Inclusion Act (SächsInklusG).
Further link to the Federal Accessibility Agency
What is meant by the implementation of the human right to unrestricted participation at universities? What support options do the legal regulations provide and how can studying with a disability be implemented?
The normative basis for all German universities is the Higher Education Framework Act (HRG). It contains regulations for the federal German higher education system, which are detailed and specified in the state laws, in accordance with the federal structure and the educational sovereignty granted to the federal states. Inclusion and participation are addressed in section 2 para. 4 HRG and section 16 sentence 4 HRG.
At state level, the Saxon Higher Education Act (SächsHSG) formulates obligations with the participation requirement (§ 5 para. 2, no. 14 SächsHSG) and the disadvantage compensation regulations in examination regulations (§ 35 para. 4 SächsHSG), which are flanked accordingly at federal level by the Higher Education Framework Act. With the amendment of the law in 2023, the election, functions and equipment of the representative for students with disabilities or chronic illnesses were newly included (Section 56 (7-10) SächsHSG).
The Saxon Inclusion Act contains regulations on the right to vote, easy language, barrier-free information technology, promoting participation and improving participation in the workplace (e.g. through barrier-free buildings and workplaces).
Section 50 of the Saxon Building Code (SächsBO) regulates the principle of structural accessibility for all educational institutions in the Free State of Saxony. In addition to the SächsBO, the list of introduced technical building regulations (LTB) contains information on the construction of disabled toilets, car parking spaces and signage in buildings, among other things. (The Bavarian Chamber of Architects has published very good brochures on the implementation of barrier-free construction: www.byak.de/publikationen.html)
The topic of education is set out in great detail and comprehensiveness in Article 24 of the UN CRPD:
In other articles, a reference can also be made to universities and their tasks in accordance with the Higher Education Act. The articles of the UNCRPD state that:
Basic Law Article 3 para. 3 sentence 2: Fundamental prohibition of discrimination against people with disabilities
Disability Equality Act (BGG) with regulations for the equality of people with disabilities in society and in particular in the sphere of influence of the federal administration. It is the basis for accessibility in public spaces. The BGG guides the actions of all federal authorities, corporations and institutions. The prohibition of discrimination also applies to subordinate authorities insofar as they implement federal law (e.g. social welfare offices). In addition, the BGG also gives associations of people with disabilities rights vis-à-vis companies and business associations.
SGB IX - Act on the Rehabilitation and Participation of People with Disabilities:
SGB IX, which was passed in 2001, contains the definition of the general concept of disability,
which is used for the entire German legal system, as it has also been adopted by the state equality laws. It is therefore also the basis for universities, e.g. for the assessment of compensation for disadvantages, the granting of study-facilitating assistance and other financial support. The legislator defines people with disabilities as those whose physical function, mental ability or mental health is highly likely to deviate from the typical condition for their age for more than six months and whose participation in society is therefore impaired (see Section 2 SGB IX, see also Section 3 BGB). Severely disabled persons according to Section 2 (2) SGB IX are people with a degree of disability of 50 or more. The definition of disability also includes long-term chronic illnesses or those with an episodic course, such as rheumatism, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis or allergies.
The Federal Participation Act gradually reformed SGB IX from 2017 to 2023. The BTHG aims to take account of the new social understanding of an inclusive society and enable more self-determination for people with disabilities through an unrestricted right to participation - in accordance with Art. 3 UN CRPD - and the necessary support services.
Chapter 12 of the BTHG, "Services for participation in education", describes the forms of support in the field of higher education and adult education. Education is regarded as an integration assistance benefit and reference is made to SGB VII (statutory accident insurance) for the assessment of benefits. In § 75 BTHG, for the first time in German legislation, people with disabilities are able to make unlimited use of further education at universities with state support. In the interests of equality for people with disabilities and the principle of compensating for disadvantages, the previous obligation to provide special proof of aptitude for academic training has been abolished.
The implementation of all rehabilitation services in the context of studies is based on the tried and tested Federal Republic of Germany model of the social triangle: The three cornerstones of the triangle are the recipient of assistance, the university/student services and the local rehabilitation provider. The latter provides so-called independent participation advice.
General Equal Treatment Act (AGG): The subject matter is employment law regulations for employees with disabilities in conjunction with §§ 85 - 92 SGB IX on special protection against dismissal for severely disabled employees. The regulations contained in the AGG describe when there is disability-related discrimination in job advertisements, recruitment or applicant selection as well as dismissals and severance payments.
