UvA IDEAs

The goal of UvA IDEAs

IDEAs stands for Inclusivity, Disability, Equity, Accessibility for and by students.

The platform is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive university where every student is able to enjoy their studies and to succeed – regardless of their disability and/or chronic illness. The activities of the UvA IDEAs students include:

• creating awareness about studying with a disability and/or chronic illness;
• informing and advising students and staff;
• safeguarding the interests of students with a disability and/or chronic illness through the UvA’s policymaking;
• improving the physical and digital accessibility of university buildings;
• identifying potential problems regarding inclusiveness and accessibility.
• UvA IDEAs is also a point of contact for students with a disability and/or chronic illness who experience problems here at the UvA, thereby acting as a liaison between students and the university.

Who is UvA IDEAs for?

UvA IDEAs is for all students who have a disability and/or chronic illness. If you have a question about studying with a disability and/or chronic illness and are you not sure who to ask, we are here to help! If you enjoy meeting like-minded people to talk about inclusivity, equality and accessibility, UvA IDEAs is the place for you.

If you have questions about facilities, the curriculum or other questions directly related to your studies and the facilities, you can contact the study adviser for your degree programme and, if necessary, a student counsellor. You can find more information on the page about studying with a disability.

The UvA IDEAs members

• Isabel, MA Music Studies. Pronouns: they/them.
• Jord, MA Physics & Astronomy (GRAPPA). Pronouns: he/him.

The UvA IDEAs sounding board

The sounding board is a WhatsApp group of students who have personal experience of studying with a disability and/or chronic illness or other support need.

The sounding board has three main functions:

• Sharing the expertise of students with first-hand experience: the sounding board makes it possible for UvA IDEAs to engage the expertise of students for various projects or issues concerning UvA policy. This ensures that the views of those who have first-hand experience are included in university policymaking regarding studying with a disability and/or chronic illness.
• Liaison between students and the university: the sounding board acts as liaison between students and the rest of the UvA. If students run into problems or have questions about accessible and inclusive education, they can raise them with the IDEAs team through the sounding board. The team can then make sure that these questions and problems reach the right people and organisations within the UvA.
• Connections: finally, the sounding board is also a place where students can connect with each other and exchange experiences and ideas.

Joining UvA IDEAs

Interested in joining the sounding board? You can! You are free to decide for yourself how active you want to be in the group and to which projects and issues you want to contribute. Send a message to UvA IDEAsExternal link telling us a bit about yourself and explaining why you want to become a member. We will then add you to the WhatsApp group. The group mainly communicates in English due to the number of international students.

You can also join UvA IDEAs by following our Instagram pageExternal link. This way you can stay up to date about our activities and events. Feel free to send us a DM if you have any questions or remarks.