Policy to Support and Empower Students with Determination and Special Needs

• Receiving requests from applicants wishing to benefit from possible accommodations at the time of submitting their admission applications to the university through the Student Information System, provided that supporting documents are attached within the system.
• Activating beneficiary student information within the Student Information System in collaboration with the Information Technology and Digital Education Directorate, defining access permissions for authorized entities, and working to link data – where the legal and technical framework permits – with relevant official databases to reduce duplicate data entry.
• Assisting beneficiary students in course registration each semester, in coordination with the Department.

• Monitoring the implementation of reasonable accommodations with academic departments to ensure that teaching and assessment methods are appropriate to the needs of beneficiary students.
• Coordinating with the Deanship and the Educational Facilities Directorate regarding infrastructure development.
• Submitting periodic reports to the Deanship on the academic performance and educational achievement of beneficiary students.
• Providing academic and technical support by contacting relevant entities to provide academic assistants, peer tutoring, remedial sessions, and appropriate teaching methods, among others.
• Directing academic departments to provide reasonable accommodations for various assessment activities for cases that require this, including allocating suitable spaces and providing the necessary support as determined by the authorized body.
• Coordinating with the authorized body when absences related to the student’s disability or health condition occur, in accordance with the regulations in force at the university.

• Verifying and classifying cases of students with determination based on approved medical reports.
• Providing college deans with updated lists of beneficiary student information at the beginning of each semester.
• Approving logistical support plans and monitoring their implementation in alignment with the university’s goals and strategic plan.
• Coordinating and communicating with colleges and the Educational Facilities Directorate regarding infrastructure development and preparation.
• Maintaining the confidentiality of student data and not sharing it with any party without the approval of the Deanship.
• Permitting the student’s parent or guardian to provide an external attendant for the beneficiary student when needed, after completing the required procedures in accordance with regulations.

• Providing social guidance and psychological counseling services to beneficiary students through the Social Guidance and Psychological Counseling Division when needed, while respecting confidentiality.
• Reviewing and classifying cases of students with special needs submitted to the Deanship and approving them. For cases related to health reasons, approval is granted after coordination with relevant parties.
• Providing the Dean with updated lists of beneficiary student information at the beginning of each semester.
• Submitting logistical support plans to the Dean for approval in alignment with the university’s goals and strategic plan.
• Issuing special permits for beneficiary students after verifying their cases.
• Following up with the Department regarding the provision of support and logistical services to beneficiary students.

• Receiving requests from beneficiary students whose disability was not identified upon their admission to the university and assessing their needs.
• Communicating with beneficiary students after their acceptance to the university, once identified through the Student Information System, and informing them of their rights and obligations.
• Developing logistical support plans, monitoring their implementation in alignment with the university’s goals and strategic plan, and submitting them to the Director of the Guidance and Mentorship Directorate.
• Coordinating with the Deanship of Admission and Registration regarding assisting beneficiary students with semester course registration.
• Providing heads of academic departments and beneficiary students with forms for midterm and final exam time extensions, as well as forms for volunteer student scribes for examinations, for cases that require such arrangements.
• Providing logistical support to beneficiary students, following up with them regularly, and meeting their needs.
• Organizing workshops and events specifically for beneficiary students.
• Working to integrate beneficiary students into events organized by the university for all students.
• Receiving complaints and suggestions submitted by beneficiary students, studying them, and working to resolve them in collaboration with relevant departments.

• Preparing student activities, events, and services to ensure equal participation opportunities for beneficiary students.
• Coordinating with the Student Guidance and Mentorship Directorate / Department of Academic Support for Students with Determination to identify the necessary accommodations for beneficiary students to participate in activities and services.
• Ensuring the integration of beneficiary students and facilitating their participation in student activities and bodies in accordance with approved regulations.

• Ensuring that academic advisors within the department follow up on the needs of beneficiary students and implement reasonable accommodations in coordination with the authorized body, and submitting periodic reports to the college dean.
• Ensuring the application of reasonable accommodations in courses and examinations in coordination with the college dean and the Department of Academic Support for Students with Determination.
• Following up on any academic, behavioral, or logistical challenges that arise for the student and referring them to the authorized body.

1. Implementing reasonable accommodations for the student in teaching and assessment activities in accordance with the guidelines specified in the form designated for this purpose by the Deanship.
2. Making course content available in accessible formats to the greatest extent possible, and informing the academic department of any obstacles encountered by the student.
3. Maintaining the confidentiality of student information and discussing it only with authorized entities and to the extent necessary.
4. Participating in training and awareness courses related to inclusive education and interacting with beneficiary students.

1. Developing, operating, and maintaining the electronic system designated for managing beneficiary student data, and linking it to the Student Information System and the university’s learning platforms.
2. Implementing information security controls, managing access permissions, auditing access to sensitive data, and preparing reports and dashboards for authorized entities.
3. Preparing digital systems and platforms in accordance with accessibility standards and providing or making available assistive technology to beneficiary students where possible.

1. Developing a plan to improve the accessibility of buildings, classrooms, and services (elevators, designated pathways, restrooms, signage, etc.) based on periodic assessment.
2. Coordinating with the Deanship to address any urgent needs related to facility accessibility.

1. Regulating the entry and presence of attendants on campus each semester in accordance with clear regulations and implementing temporary permit procedures when needed.
2. Ensuring that the attendant complies with the behavioral and confidentiality regulations in force at the University of Bahrain.

Providing appropriate library resources and services (such as copies in digital formats, Braille printing where available, screen readers, etc.) and supporting access to sources.

1. Periodically reviewing the university’s general policy and relevant regulations and policies in the field of supporting and empowering students with determination and special needs, and proposing their development in alignment with national legislation, international standards, and relevant Sustainable Development Goals.
2. Preparing an institutional strategy for supporting and empowering students with determination and special needs, including defining goals and indicators related to the accessibility of the educational environment, the quality of support services, the level of utilization of reasonable accommodations, and reviewing the results of periodic reports to measure the extent to which these goals are achieved across the university.
3. Monitoring the commitment of academic and administrative entities within the university to implementing the provisions of this policy and related regulations, identifying challenges and obstacles, and proposing solutions and recommendations to enhance the quality of implementation.
4. Enhancing coordination and integration among colleges, deanships, and various administrations, and building channels of cooperation with relevant national entities and civil society organizations to support service development and achieve comprehensive inclusion.
5. Providing advisory opinions to senior management on matters and projects related to supporting and empowering students with determination, and submitting periodic reports that include an overall performance assessment, level of progress, and strategic recommendations for continuous improvement.

These procedures shall be carried out in accordance with the approved procedural guide and its annexes, taking into account the following:

1. The student (or their authorized representative) submits a formal request to the Department through approved channels, attaching supporting documents (medical report) and specifying the required accommodations.
2. Requests are classified into regular requests and urgent or emergency requests. The latter shall be processed with priority according to the approved procedural guide.
3. The Department reviews the request to ensure that all data and documents are complete and notifies the student to complete any missing items in accordance with approved procedures.
4. The authorized body assesses the need and develops an individual support plan that includes the proposed reasonable accommodations, and notifies the college/academic department of the necessary arrangements for implementation without disclosing the diagnosis or medical details except to the minimum extent required.
5. The authorized body issues a decision approving the plan or providing a reasoned denial if implementation is not feasible, in accordance with the procedural guide and its annexes.

Approved reasonable accommodations shall be implemented in accordance with the responsibilities defined in this policy, the procedural guide, and its annexes.

The procedures for submitting, documenting, and processing complaints and grievances, along with the associated timeframes, shall be defined in the procedural guide, based on the following general framework:

1. The Department of Academic Support for Students with Determination and Special Needs receives complaints and suggestions through approved channels, documents them, and assigns each a reference number.
2. The Administration processes the complaints and responds to them within the timeframes approved in the procedural guide.
3. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint processing, they may submit a grievance to the Dean in accordance with the approved procedural guide. The Dean shall review the grievance and issue an appropriate decision in light of the provisions of this policy.

In addition to the rights enjoyed by all students, students with determination and special needs shall be entitled to benefit from the following services and accommodations:

• Benefiting from transportation services to and from the university, where available.
• Benefiting from internal mobility assistance services within the university.
• Benefiting from approved examination arrangements, including test and exam time extensions.
• Benefiting from reasonable accommodations for communication and accessibility, including sign language interpreter services when needed, and the use of augmentative and alternative communication means and methods, based on individual case assessment and without compromising course or program requirements.
• Benefiting from exam scribe services for students with visual impairments and some students with motor impairments.
• Accessing university facilities that are prepared for beneficiary students.
• Receiving fair treatment consistent with the circumstances of the disability, whether in curricular or extracurricular activities.
• Benefiting from library services designated for students with determination and special needs.
• Participating in representing the university in areas suited to the abilities of beneficiary students.
• Benefiting from assistance provided by the Department and the Deanship of Admission and Registration during course drop and add periods.
• Ensuring the confidentiality of personal, medical, and educational data, and ensuring that such data is shared only with authorized entities and to the extent necessary.
• Benefiting from the provision of suitable rest areas and support services according to need and available resources.

• Adhering to the university’s policy for supporting and empowering students with determination and special needs, particularly with regard to disclosing their specific needs.
• Submitting supporting documents for their condition (a medical report issued by a government entity or licensed healthcare facility) upon registration or upon any material change in their condition, and enabling the authorized body to assess their needs.
• Consenting to the sharing of necessary data with authorized entities within the university for the purpose of implementing reasonable accommodations, at the time of submitting the request or updating their condition, with the right to withdraw or restrict consent at any time by written notice.
• Communicating directly with the Department upon acceptance to the university and throughout their period of enrollment.
• Updating their condition and needs data when requested by the authorized body or when a change occurs, to support the continuity of reasonable accommodations.
• Informing the Department of any problem—whether academic, psychological, or social—as a preliminary step to receiving assistance in resolving it.
• Complying with the university’s regulations and laws.