Facilities and Services for Students with Disabilities
The NTU community is a diverse mix of students and staff from a variety of backgrounds and with a wide range of physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs. Across the university offices and academic schools we endeavour to cater to the needs of all students and staff. Here is a summary of some of the facilities and services for students with disabilities.
Access to Buildings and the Campus Surroundings
NTU’s buildings and physical infrastructure support the needs of disabled persons such as wheelchair users and physically injured persons. The features provided are primarily in compliance with the Singapore Code on Barrier-free Accessibility in Buildings. Examples of the types of features are:
- Barrier-free approaches to buildings
- Barrier-free access within buildings
- Access to lifts for persons with disabilities
- A Garaventa Platform stair-lift at level 5 to reach level 6 of the Student Services Centre
- Toilets across the campus for persons with disabilities
- Accessible car parking lots for persons with disabilities
Design features such as the following are also provided to help the visually-impaired move independently within the campus:
- Interconnectivity areas between buildings that allow for seamless movement
- Ramps with tactile indicators at road crossings
- Use of non-slip materials and floor finishes for enhanced safety and to ease mobility
- Braille numbers and characters on lift buttons in the newer buildings on campus
Student Accommodation
Accessible rooms are provided in the Graduate Hall and undergraduate Halls of Residence 3, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. For more information about the accommodation options for students with a disability or chronic medical condition, please access
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sao/OurServices/Pages/Accommodation.aspx
Academic and Examination Arrangements
For students with special needs, the University staff and School faculty will do their utmost to support and facilitate the students’ learning. Students requiring assistance in the learning environment should contact and notify the Associate Chair (Academic) in their School within the first 2 weeks of their first semester so that the student and School can work together to optimise the student’s learning experience. Examples of services that may be provided or supported in individual courses include an editor service to help those with reading and writing difficulties, and access to a personal mentor within the School.
All courses will have some form of assessment and if a student envisions that they will have difficulty satisfying an assessment component due to their disability then they are advised to contact the Course Coordinator within the first 2 weeks of the course.
For courses that include examination as a form of assessment, the examination arrangements that are made for candidates with special needs include the following:
- Provision of examination question papers with a bigger font and paper size (A3 size) for visually impaired students (e.g. partial visual impairment).
- A printed copy of the examination announcements will be issued to hearing-impaired students.
- Physically-impaired students are allowed to enter the examination hall before the rest of the students.
- Access to customised tables for physically-impaired students at the front of the examination hall.
- Students with medical conditions such as dyslexia may be granted extra writing time during their examinations if they submit the necessary supporting documents.
- Provision of laptop and printer for students with writing difficulties.
- Re-arrangement of the seating area in the examination venue if the candidate has some physical disability that hampers his/her movement.
Please access the NTU Office of Academic Services’ website http://www.ntu.edu.sg/oas/Pages/default.aspx for more information about the arrangements for candidates during examinations.
Convocation
Please access http://convocation.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/default.aspx if graduates requiring assistance at the convocation ceremony to make arrangements. Physically disabled graduates attending the Convocation may request to be seated backstage before the start of the Convocation ceremony and accompanied by Marshals onto the stage. Marshals will assist graduates to be presented to the Presiding Officer at the appropriate time. Marshals will provide assistance to graduates who are hearing or visually-impaired.
Community Help on Campus for hearing-impaired students
The NTU Welfare Services Club has a sub-club that conducts regular voluntary community service projects for the hearing-impaired. The group of student members are reasonably competent in using everyday “sign language” for communication purposes. Please call the Student Affairs Office if a “sign language” service is needed.
Contact Details
For more information about the disability services for students at NTU, or if you would like to make a suggestion for expanding our services, please contact the Student Affairs Office.
Contact Person: Mr Lim Boon Kiat, Deputy Director (Student Services)
Tel : 67904568
Email : bklim@ntu.edu.sg
