Guidelines to facilitate and enhance the learning for students with special needs in Higher Education

Abstract

All students are different, but higher education may prove to be more challenging and inaccessible to those with learning, mental and physical disabilities. Some needs must be addressed separately or individually, but many improvements made for students with disabilities could benefit all. We investigate the challenges met by different groups of students, and provide concrete guidelines on how to counteract them. Furthermore, we conclude that a Universal Design for Learning would be the best way forward: a solution that can accommodate all students simultaneously, challenge students without causing unnecessary stress and at the same time not compromise the quality of the education.