Advice and guidance for students with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and/or mental health conditions

If questions, problems or doubts arise before you start your studyprogramme or during your studies, we will gladly provide support and advice by telephone, by E-Mail or through a personal meeting. Please arrange an appointment with our barrier-free university representative.

Advice and support services:

• Confidential advice for prospective students and current students of ASH Berlin
• Advice for university applicants, for example in hardship cases
• Support with individual student needs (modified examination and study conditions)
• Commitment to asserting and protecting the interests of ASH Berlin students with disabilities
• Involvement in planning and implementing architectural measures and acquiring technical aids

Our services are aimed at students with, amongst others:

• mobility, visual, hearing, or speech impairments
• mental illnesses (e.g., eating disorders, anxiety disorders, depression)
• chronic illnesses (e.g., rheumatism, Crohn's disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, HIV infection, epilepsy, cancer, ME/CFS)
• with dyslexia, specific learning disabilities
• on the autism spectrum, neurodivergence, ADHD

Consultation hours

Please make an appointment by email at: barrierefrei@ avoid-unrequested-mailsash-berlin.eu 

Special admission to study

Applicants with a disability, chronic illness or mental impairment can apply for special admission to study (hardship application, reduced waiting time, improvement of average grade) if they fulfil certain criteria. This special admission will enable you to study without other selection criteria being taken into account (average grade, waiting semester, points system). For detailed requirements and information on applications, please ask the Enrolment Office of ASH Berlin or the barrier-free university representative.

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Getting help with discrimination

Experiences of discrimination based on disabilities and impairments during studies can vary: ranging from explicit discrimination to subtle but hurtful behavior to structures that disadvantage students. All students have the right to study without discrimination. Discrimination is never the fault of the person affected.

• Our advisory service provides support for students who experience discrimination due to disability or impairment and helps them find solutions.
• Further help with discrimination at ASH Berlin and information on the university's anti-discrimination structure can be found here.

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New offer from studierendenWERK: Studying successfully with post-COVID, ME/CFS, and post-vaccination symptoms? – Female empowerment

On January 29, 2026, studierendenWERK Berlin is hosting an open information and discussion session on the topic of studying with post-COVID, ME/CFS, and post-vaccination symptoms. The event is aimed at female students and those interested in studying of all ages who are affected by post-COVID/long COVID, post-vaccination and ME/CFS. The event will take place online and is free of charge.

Further information and registration for the event can be found here.

"Psychogewerkschaft" - A group of students for students

 The “Psychogewerkschaft” group is by and for ASH students who struggle with mental health issues, have a mental illness—with or without a diagnosis—and/or identify as neurodivergent.

We believe that there are currently too few services available for us at ASH, not least a form of networking and exchange on an equal footing, among like-minded people, so to speak. In addition, we would like to collect the needs and obstacles we experience in our everyday university life and gain a voice in university politics—and, ideally, organize ourselves with a fighting spirit.

Anyone who feels affected is welcome to join us at any time and help shape the group :)

Here is the link to our Telegram group: t.me/Psychogewerkschaft. 

Bookshelves

For some students, carrying books around during their studies is a major burden. That is why the Women's Representative allocates a number of book compartments, e.g. for people who use wheelchairs or others who would benefit from additional storage space.

The 24 bookshelves in Student Room 119 are allocated for one semester at a time and can be extended if necessary. If you would like to use a bookshelf, please send a short explanation by email to frauenbeauftragte@ avoid-unrequested-mailsash-berlin.eu. 

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Useful links

Studying

• www.barrierefrei-studieren.de – Online portal with funding possibilities and a broad range of information
• Counselling Centre for Barrier-free Studies –  Support in questions about barrier-free studies and everyday student life from studierendenWERK Berlin
• Link list for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses at FU Berlin – Further readings and recommendations from the Office for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses at FU Berlin

Online accessibility and tools

• Domingos de Oliveira provides a guideline (german link/english link) for online events
• Oliveira is an Accessibility Consultant and offers Workshops

Mobility and accessibility in everyday life

• motor-talk – information about driving a car
• wheelmap.org – interactive map of accessibility
• brokenlifts.org – information about broken lifts in Berlin

Sports

• Inclusive sports courses at FU Berlin – FU Berlin offers a range of inclusive sports courses open to everyone
• Collection of links to online workouts for people with visual impairments provided by KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)

Representation of interests

• Berliner Behindertenzeitung (BBZ) has been published by the Berliner Behindertenverband e.V. since 1990 and appears regularly with 10 issues per year.
• Deutscher Gehörlosen-Bund e.V. (DGB) (German Deaf Association) promotes equality, self-determination, and the interests of deaf people and others with hearing impairments.
• Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband e.V. (German Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired) is a self-help association for people who are affected by or at risk of vision loss.
• The Inclusive Expert Network (iXNet) empowers and supports disabled academics with network knowledge, information events, and a team of advisors to help them plan their careers.

 

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