The concept of disability covers a wide range of physical, psychological and social impairments. For simplicity, disability can be divided into different subgroups:

• Orientational disabilities – visual impairment and hearing impairment;
• Motor disabilities;
• Invisible disabilities – such as dyslexia and various chronic diseases: diabetes, asthma, epilepsy etc.;
• Cognitive disabilities – such as ADHD and Asperger syndrome.

People with learning disabilities do not normally apply to higher education in Norway because of the admission requirements.

Services for disabled students

From 1999 all Norwegian universities and university colleges were required to have a contact person for students with disabilities, and also a plan of action to make each higher education institution (HEI) more accessible. This requirement was introduced by the Ministry of Education, partly as a response to the development of a national policy to make all parts of the society more inclusive. 

There is no established national norm for the services offered to disabled students by Norwegian universities and colleges. The institutions are all required to make necessary adjustments in order to ensure that disabled candidates have equal access to education, but it is up to the institutions themselves to define which services they can offer their students. All institutions are required to have an appointed contact person for disabled students as well as a plan of action on how to include this group of students.

In the early 2000s a national network on disability services began to form between the universities and colleges. Because of this, there is today a greater accordance between the services offered to disabled students. Students should, however, be aware that different institutions will to some degree offer different services.

Many of the services offered to disabled students require that the students document their disability. Students who need adjustments should therefore contact their institution as soon as possible to find out which services are available and apply for the necessary adjustments. This applies to both Norwegian and foreign students. All disability services are free of charge.

Detailed information about services offered by the different universities and colleges in Norway can be found in the Higher Education Accessibility Guide (HEAG)

Shared responsibility

In Norway the responsibility for students’ welfare is shared three-ways between the universities and colleges, the Student Welfare Associations (of which all students are automatically members), and the public health and welfare system.

The universities ad colleges are responsible for the students’ physical, psychosocial and pedagogical learning environment. This includes responsibility for all buildings, outdoor areas, equipment, information and activities on campus. Medical services, technical aids (including sign interpretation), personal assistance and transportation belong to the public services offered by the local governments and are not the responsibility of the universities and colleges. The Student welfare associations offer student housing and kindergartens for students, and in many cities they also offer supplementary health services for students.

Legal rights

The Higher Education Act defines students’ rights to appropriate adjustments. The Act states that all universities and colleges are instructed to take the necessary steps to ensure that disabled students have the same access to education as their non-disabled peers. The Act also requires that the students’ learning environment is developed according to the principles of universal design.

In 2009 the Norwegian Anti-discrimination and Accessibility Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability, was introduced. This Act also emphasizes the responsibility of universities and colleges to ensure equal opportunities in education for disabled students.

Student funding

Almost all study programs in Norway are free of tuition fees. Foreign students should be aware, however, that living expenses in Norway are significantly higher than in many other countries. There are different forms of student funding and scholarships and an overview can be found at: http://www.studyinnorway.no/sn/Tuition-Scholarships. There are no alternative sources of student funding for disabled students that are available to foreign students.