EPICUR EDI Toolkit

4.3.2.3. KIT
Center for Digital Accessibility and Assistive Technology (ACCESS@KIT)
formerly Study Center for Visually Impaired Students
ACCESS@KIT supports and advises visually impaired students and prospective students
in all study courses offered at KIT by transferring all learning material and exams to an
accessible format, conduct exams with compensation of disadvantages and providing
training to improve working techniques. Within the Accessibility Lab, innovative and
individual solutions for accessible studies, especially in STEM (science, technologies,
engineering and informatics) fields are developed. Thereby, students with blindness or
low vision get the opportunity to study in a self-determined and inclusive way at KIT
and to find access to professional life.
Annual Information Event for Students with Visual Impairments
Since 2020, ACCESS@KIT offers a virtual information event for prospective students from German-speaking
countries once a year. The goal of this event is to address all topics of studying with visual impairment or blindness.
My Profile – a totally different application training. A seminar for visually impaired students
Interviews are stressful situations for many applicants. They often feel insecure when being asked what their
strong and weak points are and why they are interested in this company. Students or job seekers with visual impairment
have additionally to cope with the problem how to address their visual impairment. The professional
planning procedure Life/Work Planning (LWP) offers practical and field-tested solutions which are presented in
this seminar. The seminar is offered virtually in 2022 for the first time.
MINTernship inclusive
The pilot project MINTernship inclusive offers an inclusive approach to our international research opportunities
program and is funded by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation. In cooperation with KIT‘s Representative for
Students with Disabilities and Chronic Diseases, the International Scholars & Welcome Office of International
Affairs (INTL) and the ACCESS@KIT – Center for Digital Accessibility and Assistive Technology. They offer a tailored
three- to eight-month research opportunities to students with disabilities and chronic diseases in bilateral
exchange with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA (incoming and outgoing) and in the incoming
programs with the University of Waterloo, Canada and Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
Lecture Digital Accessibility and Assistive Technology
The lecture provides an overview of IT-based Assistive Technologies (AT) for people with visual impairment and
includes the following topics: (1) Basics of visual impairments, the causes and effects, (2) Existing assistive technologies
for different fields of application, (3) AT for information access, (4) Accessible software development
(5) Accessible design of websites (6) Use of AI-based methods for the development of new AT for mobility support,
information access, and other applications for people with visual impairments.
Assistive technology lending pool for students with visual impairments
Many students have no or insufficient technical equipment when starting their studies. It also may happen that
assistive technology breaks during studying on short notice. Students therefore need an alternative solution
quickly. For this purpose, students can ask for a temporary solution from the lending pool at ACCESS@KIT. If
needed aids can be borrowed. The pool comprises primarily mobile devices such as notebooks, magnifying software,
screen readers, camera systems and mobile Braille displays.
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EPICUR EDI Toolkit