Student Platform | Platform Limitless Hogeschool van Amsterdam

Student platforms, for and by students with support needs, play an essential role in promoting inclusiveness and accessibility within educational institutions. Through several interviews with student platforms, we want to offer tools and inspiration to other student platforms, as well as educational institutions, on how to organize student participation within an educational institution.

On Oct. 3, 2023, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences underscores its commitment to more inclusive education by signing the UN Convention on Disability Declaration of Intent. With this, the college aims to implement the rights of persons with disabilities in higher education. This is a great occasion to conduct the third interview at student platform Limitless, the platform for students with disabilities at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, where staff members are trying to create support for inclusive education from the bottom up.

Part 3: student platform Hogeschool van Amsterdam – Limitless

Until two years ago, Ilse Oldersma (23) was a student like any other until she began experiencing physical symptoms. A medical examination determined that she had fibromyalgia. This threw a new perspective on her studies in Public Administration, with all the delays and challenges involved.

“I became frustrated because many teachers had little understanding of my situation.” – Ilse

She decided to seek out additional information and peers. “On Instagram, I then came across the profile of Limitless, the platform for students with disabilities at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam. Their most recent post was a vacancy for Staff Member. That was perfect!” After all, in this position she had the opportunity to change things.

She has now been employed by the Hogeschool van Amsterdam for over a year, for eight hours a week. In that position, she coordinates all of Limitless’ activities. She does that together with Kai van Vlaanderen (24), a nursing student. He ended up sitting at home at the beginning of his studies, four years ago, due to the lockdown caused by the corona pandemic. “Quite inconvenient when you have ADD and ADHD in addition to dyslexia,” he said. He got on the trail of peer coaching. A year later, he became a peer coach himself, and then even a student mentor+. Kai explains the difference between the two: “In peer coaching, you are mentored in two or three meetings by a senior with the same disability. That’s mainly to get you on your feet. With student mentor+, you get help from a senior for the first hundred days of your studies. So the latter is a more intensive form of guidance.”

Early last academic year, Kai was made aware of the Staff Member vacancy at Student Affairs. After all, Ilse and her then companion could use some help.

Help from student affairs

The platform was set up seven years ago by a staff member to stand up for students who are struggling to study. As a peer coach+ and student mentor+, Kai has since gone through various parts of the platform.

There is also a student panel+. Kai: “This panel carries out assignments for both the Hogeschool van Amsterdam and Limitless and receives a small compensation for it. This varies from being present during an open day to contributing to improvements within the school itself.” Ilse and Kai themselves do not have enough time to carry out these tasks; the coordination of these initiatives is transferred to other employees of the college.

In fact, Limitless is run not only by Ilse and Kai, but also by regular employees. The two hold offices at Student Affairs, where the employees who support them also work. That support may involve distributing incoming assignments for the student panel+ or pairing up peer coaches.

Ilse and Kai have their hands full running the platform. For example, they reach out to other students via email and Instagram, manage two WhatsApp groups, one for calls and one in which to chat, and distribute a newsletter once a month. Most of their time is spent building community through different types of meetings, such as workshops on LinkedIn, cooking workshops and joint study sessions. Ilse emphasizes, “With these, we provide a space where people can interact with each other in an informal way.”

Conscious choices due to limited time

Although those meetings are very much appreciated by other students, they have to cut back on the number of meetings next academic year. This is because they have an intention for next year that will take quite some time. Not only do they want more awareness among students, they also want to train teachers. Kai: “So that teachers know how to deal with students with disabilities and how to refer students to us.”

In this way, the two hope to gain more support at the college. They see this as the most effective way. Although the Ilse and Kai in Student Affairs are not even that far away from the Executive Board (BoG), it is quite difficult to get to the table with them. Ilse: “It takes considerable time and effort to bring about change within the college.” It is up to us to increase the visibility of the platform so that the CvB is aware of our goals and interests as much as possible.

“By focusing on students as well as teachers, it is possible to help students earlier.” – Ilse

This approach is having an effect. Ilse gives an example: “There is a great need among all students for more quiet rooms. While students with support needs actually need more low-stimulation spaces.” There isn’t if there is a queue of people who want to use the space for other reasons. Students from the student panel+ therefore urged the college to provide rest rooms specifically for students with support needs. With success!

Meaningful work

After this year, their work as staff members is over. Kai: “After 2 years, they want to give new students a chance to be able to work at the college.” With that prospect, the two make sure to document everything they do right away. Kai: “We try to make it as easy as possible for successors.” That the two will have to leave in a year, Ilse in particular finds “tremendous” regret. “First of all, you have the feeling that you are doing something that matters, that produces something in practice. Apart from that, it’s great fun, we work in a super nice team.”

They also receive a lot of appreciation from students. Ilse: “I received regular messages last year from students who appreciated our work tremendously, that they were finally getting understanding. I can’t imagine a more meaningful side job.”

The interview series student platforms is written by Thijs de Lange. Thijs de Lange (b. 1997) is a journalist and daytime speaker. He has a mild form of Cerebral Palsy due to lack of oxygen at birth. Since his studies, he has been working as an expert by experience to improve the lives of people with disabilities in the Netherlands. More information can be found on his site: www.thijsdoet.nl.