Lending Pool: Assistive Technology for students with Visual Impairments

Students with visual impairment depend on Assistive Technologies (AT) in order to manage their studies. Without these technologies, teaching material or exams cannot be dealt with. In many cases however, students with visual impaiment have no or an insufficient AT equipment in the beginning of their studies. Additionally, foreign students with visual impairment having no German citizenship have no possibility to obtain finances for the needed AT equipment from the social agencies or the healthcare system. Should assistive technologies break during the studies, remedial actions must be taken as quickly and uncomplicated as possible.

For these reasons SZS created a lending pool, from which Assistive Technologies can be borrowed when needed. The lending pool consists of mobile equipment such as camera systems, Braille displays as well as notebooks with accessibility software such as magnifiers and Screenreaders.

The startup funding is covered from resources of quality assurance, a programme supporting sustainability of research and teaching as well as their advancement.

Project duration

01.04.2013 - 31-03.2014