Legal Foundations

Regulations on the equality and anti-discrimination of people with disabilities are set out in international and national documents:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN Disability Rights Convention UN CRPD 2008).
Austrian Federal Constitutional Act (BVG)
Federal law on the equality of Persons with Disabilities (Bundes-Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz BGStG)
Directive (EU) 2016/2102 on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies
Federal law on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications of the federal government (Web Accessibility Act - WZG)

Universities Act 2002 (UG)

In the University Act 2002, legal principles for the area of studies and disability are laid down in the following sections:

Section 2: The guiding principles for universities in the fulfillment of their tasks are:
11) special consideration of the needs of persons with disabilities.

Section 58 (11): For students with a disability within the meaning of section 3 of the Federal Disability Equality Act, Federal Law Gazette I No. 82/2005, the requirements of the curricula shall be modified by decision of the governing body responsible for study law – if necessary, taking into account alternative assessment methods applied for in accordance with section 59(1)(12) – whereby the educational objective of the chosen course of study must be attainable.

Section 59(1)(12): Students shall be entitled to freedom of learning in accordance with the provisions of the law. In particular, this includes the right to use a different examination method if the student can prove that he or she has a disability that makes it impossible for him or her to take the examination using the prescribed method, and the content and requirements of the examination are not impaired by a different method.