Disability Support Service

The role of the Disability Support Service

The Disability Support Service at Nantes Université welcomes and supports students with disabilities, taking into account each individual's particular circumstances, and offers assistance to facilitate:
  • Access to suitable adapted student accommodation (in liaison with CROUS Nantes)
  • Implementation of personal support during daily activities and/or leisure pursuits
  • Access to specific rights and provisions (in liaison with MDPH, Agefiph, Cap emploi, etc.)
  • Access to general entitlements (in liaison with CROUS social services and/or university services)
  • Access to the University Careers and Guidance Service (SUIO) at Nantes Université to support the development of academic and professional pathways
The Disability Support Service also acts in accordance with recommendations from the authorised medical practitioner at the Student Health Service (SUMPPS/SSE) at Nantes Université to implement certain support measures that facilitate students' academic journeys:
  • Advice and assistance in understanding university organisation and available adjustments
  • Specific advice and assistance for accessing course content
  • Individualised personal support within the programme of study (specialist tutoring) prescribed in advance by the authorised university medical practitioner
  • Support in expressing specific needs (personalised awareness sessions on request) to the university administration and/or teaching staff

PASDA - Deafness and Hearing Impairment

The Accessibility and Awareness of Hearing Impairment Unit (PASDA) within the Disability Support Service works to facilitate study conditions for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. This unit has qualified staff to raise awareness within the university community, to coordinate communication support interventions (French Sign Language and/or Cued Speech) during lectures or other face-to-face situations, and to facilitate the implementation of technical aids and specialist support.
Contact:
Camille DELAROCHE
camille.delaroche@univ-nantes.fr
Tél. 02 40 37 10 72

Preparing for the start of your university year

At the beginning of the academic year, or as soon as you enrol: register with the Nantes Université medical service!

Download the reply form designed to facilitate the consideration of specific needs for students with disabilities or medical conditions.

To benefit from academic adjustments, you must be registered with one of our medical practitioners at the university. The doctor will meet with you and can discuss the necessary adjustments to make your studies accessible. In certain situations, they may advise you to contact the Disability Support Service.

Throughout the year, please do not hesitate to contact the Disability Support Service at Nantes Université.

To receive initial information and advice from the Disability Support Service, it is not necessary to be registered with the medical practitioner in advance.

1 - Registering your particular circumstances relating to health conditions or impairments:
This is a confidential process, to be undertaken with the authorised medical practitioner at Nantes Université as soon as you enrol. This first step is extremely important because, please note, no adjustments or support will be possible without prior certification from the university medical practitioner.
  • Book an appointment with the doctor: online
    Student Health Centre-SUMPPS
2 - Adjustment recommendations:
Depending on your circumstances and needs, certain specific adjustments will be recommended by the doctor:
  • Adjustment of study pace
  • Examination adjustments
  • Specialist provisions (personal support, technical aids)
  • Academic adjustments
  • Referral to the Disability Support Service (advice and information on student life and specific provisions, assistance in accessing course content, support in expressing specific needs within your faculty, etc.)
3 - Contacting your designated contact:
For examination adjustments and/or study pace adjustments, your contact within your faculty is your student administration office (for end-of-term examinations) and/or your academic office (for continuous assessment).

An adaptation of the study environment can be considered, whatever the identified disability circumstances. All study adjustment arrangements are managed collaboratively between the relevant student administration offices and the Student Health Service (SSE).

These can be broken down into four areas, taking into account the regulations in force for each programme:
  • Timetable adjustments: A timetable adjustment may be possible, for example, choosing a tutorial group for which the class times would be more suitable given the constraints generated by the identified disability circumstances (medical treatments and appointments, specialist transport arrangements or personal care assistance with fixed schedules, etc.).
  • Choice of modules: It is possible, particularly within the LMD system, to choose a limited number of teaching units per year to lighten your workload; this is known as a special arrangement. Or an academic year can be spread over two years, with the second year not being considered as repeating a year.
  • Attendance exemption: Attendance exemption or annual medical certificate (issued by the SSE): in cases of regular but unpredictable absences, there are two options to avoid being penalised for missing continuous assessments:
    • An annual medical certificate can be issued by the SSE to justify occasional and unpredictable absences. Replacement assessments are then organised according to the continuous assessment arrangements; please enquire with your academic office.
    • An attendance exemption may be granted on request. This arrangement can be implemented per semester and allows the number of assessments to be limited (end-of-term examinations instead of continuous assessments).
  • Academic tutoring: In situations where students with disabilities cannot take all the course notes themselves, a number of tutoring hours may be granted. This involves individualised academic support provided by students at a higher level of study to:
    • Review course material and complete additional exercises
    • Provide methodological support
    • Facilitate interaction with lecturers

Careers guidance and professional development:

The Disability Support Service and the SUIO work together to ensure suitable reception and advice for people with disabilities. A career pathways consultant is available to assist you with any questions about developing your academic pathway or your relationship with the professional world: Corine.Bonnetain@univ-nantes.fr

Contact:
  • SUIO opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm.
  • Resource library opening hours:
    • Monday: 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
    • Tuesday to Thursday: 9:30 am - 12:30 pm / 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
    • Friday: 9:30 am - 12:30 pm / 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Student Health Service - SSE:

Only the service's medical practitioners (authorised by the Departmental Centre for People with Disabilities - MDPH) can formally recognise your disability circumstances and/or illness affecting your studies at our institution. They can recommend study and/or examination adjustments in accordance with the circular of 6 February 2023.
Depending on your needs and discussions, they may refer you to the Disability Support Service, which can, where appropriate, implement support arrangements.
By appointment, they will be available to you throughout the year as your circumstances evolve. CROUS de Nantes:

Studies, financial support, accommodation, catering, transport, campus life, disability contacts, etc. Whatever the student life issue, CROUS services support students with particular needs on a daily basis to facilitate the best possible conditions for following their course and student life.
For more information on this subject, visit the CROUS dedicated page.

University Library:

The university libraries are working to improve their welcome for people with disabilities. Accessibility representatives can be contacted using this email address: bu-accessibilité-contact@univ-nantes.fr
  • Library tours on request
  • Welcome and support for people with disabilities
  • Handimedia rooms with list of equipment and software
  • Subtitled videos from the "My studies with the library" series - French Sign Language dictionary
  • Accessibility representatives in all libraries
Emergency 114:

Free national emergency number, accessible only by SMS or fax (24/7), for people with difficulty hearing or speaking.
Compose 114 in the SMS/messages function of your phone accompanied by your emergency message.
The 114 operators will respond to you and contact the appropriate emergency services nearest to you.

Key services and initiatives to facilitate your university life

HANDISUP

The Handisup association, a longstanding partner of Nantes Université, also enables you to benefit from additional daily services (assistance with travel, assistance with meals, home support, access to lecture rooms, support in carrying out personal projects, professional integration, etc.).
Contact:
SAVS Handisup
Tel: 02 51 83 99 16

HANDI'MIX

The Disability Support Service at Nantes Université, together with its partners including the Handisup association, organises disability awareness initiatives each year which aim to develop solidarity on campus, demystify the subject of disability and make it more accessible, in order to break down the many taboos surrounding it!
These awareness initiatives, called "HANDI'MIX", take various forms and are aimed at the entire university community in the most inclusive way possible.

Find out more
Updated on 30 September 2025.