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Psychological support 

For people in a mental health crisis, the centre offers psychological consultations. There are currently three psychologists available. Last year, around 180 people benefited from their help over nearly 500 consultations. 

Students can make an appointment for any reason, but the main one, as Patrycja Krzemieniec points out, is the problem with establishing relationships and coping in full-time studies. – Not everyone feels ok in these post pandemic times, especially first-year students. Also Ukrainians often look for help, we had a lot of visits shortly after the war broke out. At CWiD, we don’t offer long-term psychotherapy, but rather several meetings with a psychologist. If we see that a student has serious problems, we help them find the right specialist – says the director of the Support and Accessibility Centre, emphasising that usually such short-term assistance is sufficient in crisis situations. – If someone has a crisis, for example before an important exam, or cannot cope with the excess of studying, or feels overwhelmed, then immediate psychological help is a good solution. 

In addition to individual psychological consultations, CWiD also offers courses in caring for one’s mental well-being, coping with stress and motivation. - We conduct workshops on how to deal with procrastination. You will learn how to take care of your mental health, how to rest properly, because as it turns out, not everyone knows how to rest. When I tell students how much time they should spend on resting each day, they are shocked – says Patrycja Krzemieniec jokingly. Taking part in these types of workshops can be a way to prevent psychological crises resulting from improper time management or a lack of motivation to learn. 

Help for students with special needs 

In the Support and Accessibility Center, students will find not only psychological help, but most of all support if they happen to have special needs. This is where people with health problems who have a disability certificate can apply, although it is not a requirement. People without certificates, with chronic diseases will also find support here. At CWiD, the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences provides, support of a sign language interpreter, additional classes in a foreign language and other subjects, tailored physical education classes, didactic materials in written form, an increased number of absences allowed, an interactive board facilitating foreign language classes, various forms of taking exams, e.g. with the help of an interpreter, and financial assistance or the already mentioned psychological help. For people with hearing difficulties, in addition to the services of a sign language interpreter, hearing loops are also provided – devices that collect sound so that it reaches the hearing impaired person more clearly. 

Zuzanna Czekaj from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at UPWr and this year's winner of the Sapere Aude award, is also involved in facilitating the study process for hearing impaired people. Together with a team of five, she prepared the project "Study in sign language". – We had one common goal – to contribute to building a better world for the deaf. We try to popularise studies, inform and undertake initiatives that have a positive impact on the reality of these people – explains Zuzanna Czekaj. 

– In turn, for students with mobility issues, we have, for example, the possibility of providing transport to the university, home and between classes. But the form of help that we can provide depends mainly on the person submitting the application, because they know best what they need – says Patrycja Krzemieniec. 

Students applying for assistance specify the scope of their needs together with the rector's plenipotentiary for disabled people at UPWr and decide together how the university will provide support. The plenipotentiary also helps students with formal matters, such as filling in the scholarship application, supports candidates for studies in the recruitment process and supports new students during the first weeks at the university, when they have to adapt to unknown reality. During the academic year, it solves current problems - most often students with disabilities need additional teaching materials or recording lectures (people with eyesight and hearing impairment), assigning an individual method of completing subjects or changing the form of the exam (e.g. from written to oral), switching to an individual course studies.

– We’ve got used to the fact that disability is connected to, by implication, movement. Meanwhile, for several years now, we have had more and more students with mental health problems of various kinds. Depression, autism spectrum disorders, metabolic diseases, i.e. both very high diabetic obesity and excessive thinness. Mental illness can also be a disability confirmed by a certificate. Almost every year, in every field of study, we have at least one student with such problems. And I am convinced that we do not know about many more – says the representative of the rector for disabled people at UPWr, Dr. Mirosława Pietryk. 

That is why the university provides the services of a teaching assistant who will accompany students on the autism spectrum who need additional support, guide them to classes, help to keep notes or in establishing relationships, sticking to the class schedule or navigating campuses. 

Career counselling 

The Support and Accessibility Centre also supports students who are starting to look for jobs. Available for them are tests of professional predispositions, thanks to which they learn about their strengths and weaknesses, or vocational training preparing them to move around in the workforce. 

Thanks to the offered courses, students can learn skills such as how to write a cover letter, how to prepare for a job interview, or how to start your own business. Students can also consult with a counsellor, coach or take part in a communication and intercultural competences workshop.