How can Technology Improve University Accessibility to Students with Mental Health Issues?

In the past years, universities around the world have become more accessible to students of all backgrounds. From hundreds upon thousands of online courses available to those, who may not be able to either attend or afford full-time degree programmes, to counsellor services for financial, psychological, and career problems.

At the same time, some schools are still not ready to deal with the growing number of students with severe mental health issues or other learning exceptionalities. There have been various reports of universities forcing students out of dormitories or classes for contacting a counsellor due to suicide ideations or psychological breakdowns.

Nonetheless, the situation is becoming better and the tradition of having a mental health expert on campus is spreading worldwide. Which is definitely the first step towards better university accessibility.

For example, in my last publication on mental health in Chinese universities, I mentioned the increase in administrative student support positions to help students smoothly go through their education. Such offices have only recently reached the Chinese universities, but are already some of the most important places for helping the struggling pupils.

Another step might be a more active usage of technology in universities. Technology does not only bring more efficiency, but can also help those who struggle with overall schooling system based around large lecture halls and participatory tutorials. Therefore, in this publication, I wish to shed some light on a particular example of university accessibility through technology.

Recently, I contacted Marcel Melchers, a student counsellor at the Fenestra Disability Centre of Leiden University, my alma mater. During my time at Leiden, I have come face-to-face with my own mental health issues. This pushed me to notice the development of available facilities, other than the traditional counsellor’s office. Marcel Melchers kindly helped me to understand these facilities from the administration’s perspective.

To begin with, out of all 27.900 students at Leiden University, around 10% of them have some type of disability, out of which half have a psychological disability, be it AD(H)D, anxiety disorder, or depression. Leiden University also has a wide range of policies and facilities that assist everyone, especially the mentioned 10%. Including but not limited to counselling office, deadline extensions due to specific issues, special conditions when taking exams, and so on. I wish to highlight two policies of Leiden University that were not directly intended to advantage the students with learning exceptionalities but benefited them regardless. Those being technological amenities of recorded lectures and online discussion boards.

First of all, the introductions of recorded classes is a novel addition to the university. I remember how during my studies, more and more lectures had a camera-man in the back of the hall. Not everyone was thrilled about the addition. The students were concerned about privacy and restriction on the freedom of speech, as the discussion part was filmed and available on the class portal. The professors were unfamiliar with the new technology and were worried about the possible decrease in attendance and student attention during their lectures. Nonetheless, the camera in the back proved useful. Mainly to the primary focus group – the students who could not attend the lecture due to other responsibilities, be it work or another major. Unsurprisingly, the students who are living with learning exceptionalities benefited extensively too. Those, who tend to have problems of keeping focus and are sensitive to visual and auditory stimuli, could now take a break and re-watch the lectures back home without any external stressors.

I can personally attest to this facility. As someone with anxiety and sensory sensitivity, I also have trouble being attentive and not stressed out in a huge lecture hall. With the option of watching the lectures back in my room, I did not have to get extra panicky about zoning out during the class and missing half of the contents. It was all there for me on the online class portal Blackboard. The same portal had another technological update by the time I graduated – an online discussion board integrated with the tutorial groups.

Many European and American universities put a lot of focus on student participation in the class discussions. Thus, attempt to include as many pupils in the group work, presentations, and projects as possible. However, not everyone is fully comfortable speaking up in front of other people. Be it introversion or social anxiety, a large part of students do suffer during these intense discussion sessions. More often than not, pupils are valued upon their outspokenness and even graded for the participation.

I was that student as well. I know perfectly well what it means to have a pounding heart in your chest once the class turns to you. Breath is stuck in the back of the throat and you cannot mumble anything clever. By the end of the semester, I almost failed my Cultural Studies class, just because of my inability to speak up. Despite having many ideas, which I was pouring into various essays and blog posts.

Thus came the online discussion board. The administration included it as a supplement for the tutorial discussion. For the students to begin and continue the debate outside the classroom. Those who were silent through the session were now babbling on and on about various topics on the portal. It was a win-win for everyone. The outgoing students now had both online and offline places to share their ideas and I had a safe space to share all the articles and arguments I could think of without losing on the grade.

Unsurprisingly, Leiden University, with many other innovative higher education institutions are active in the field of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that make the learning more attainable and more accessible to more and more people.

These online courses, besides being a great alternative to expensive classes at a college, also provide a beneficial platform for those with mental health issues. The fact that one can take classes from home, whenever the motivation rises up and without any forced human interaction, may be an attractive option to some. In addition to that, the MOOCs, although are advised to be completed within a certain time period, can be extended and played around with. One can skip some videos or assignments, take them as fast or as slow as one wishes, without no stringent credit requirements or classmates to catch up with. Undoubtedly, for some such environment might not seem encouraging enough, but for some it is a plausible option to get the education without forgetting one's health. Leiden University also offers a wide variety of such MOOCs, which range from tighter regulated subjects based on a clear schedule to more relaxed courses, in which people can get all the knowledge with none of the worries.

The instances I mentioned are examples of only one place, at which I happened to study. I am confident that there are other schools offering innovative solutions for the students with learning exceptionalities. I would like to learn what facilities are offered at your school or your country. What can and should still be done to make universities the most engaging and inspiring places that they can be?

Article first published on Medium, as a part of the EdSurge Independent Fellows programme.