The University of Münster offers students with disabilities a variety of technical aids to assist them in their studies. There are also external advice offices which can instruct students on how to use these assistive tools. Below you will find information on the technical aids available at the University and details on how to use them to ensure fair and successful study conditions.
In lecture halls equipped with the Sennheiser MobileConnect system, people with hearing impairments can use their smartphone to amplify the existing sound signal, adjust it individually and receive the signal via technically compatible hearing aids.
Prerequisites for use:
More information on usage and settings: Download the CIT technical manual (PDF).
The Sennheiser MobileConnect system is installed in the following lecture halls:
With the help of an audio induction loop, hearing-impaired people who use hearing aids with a T-coil can understand speech better. Disturbing background noise and reverberation are filtered for the most part.
Audio induction loops are installed in the following rooms at the University of Münster:
| Building | Room | Roomtype | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Schlossplatz 4 |
SP4.201 | Lecture hall | Level evenly distributed in the room, also in the lecturer area. |
|
Domplatz 23 |
DPL23.102 (120.001) |
Lecture hall | Level limited in 1st row, seats 1-11 and 4th row seats 33-42, low tones missing. Level limited in the lecturer area. |
| Bispinghof 2 Building |
BB4 (100.004) |
Seminarroom | Level evenly distributed in the room, also in the lecturer area. |
|
BB401 (140.001) |
Seminarroom | Level evenly distributed in the room, also in the lecturer area. | |
| Röntgenstraße 16 MIC | 100.015 | Lecture hall | Level evenly distributed in the room but limited in the lecturer area. |
| Busso-Peus Straße 10 SoN | SoN4 (100.004) | Seminarroom | Level evenly distributed in the room, also in the lecturer area. The room can be partitioned, but induction loop cannot be divided between partitions. |
| Heisenbergstraße 2 GEO | 100.001 | Lecture hall | Levels evenly distributed in the room, acoustically quieter in the lecturer area. |
| Schlossgarten 3 SG3 | SG3 (100.036) | Lecture hall | Rows 1, 2, 6-10 are quiet. Rows 3-5 are fine. Acoustically quieter in the lecturer area. |
| Orleansring 12 | SRZ217 | Seminarroom | Levels evenly distributed in the room, but a bit weaker in the centre. The room can be partitioned, but induction loop reception cannot be divided between partitions. |
The mike cube is a foam block with an in-built microphone which people in the auditorium can toss to one another. The mike cube allows one to capture individual questions and comments from the audience, making shouting across the room no longer necessary. The signal is transmitted via loudspeakers installed in the lecture hall and simultaneously played over the Sennheiser MobileConnect system or audio induction loops, or hybrid teaching systems, such as Zoom, eLectures etc. There are currently 40 mike cubes installed in various lecture halls and classrooms throughout the University.
For more information on how mike cubes work and how to use them, view the CIT’s instruction video.
The Research UNITE hearing system is a mobile communication system with four transmitters and 20 receivers (both with FM amplification and induction loop technology), available on loan from the University of Münster. The communication system can be configured in two ways:
four individual sets that can be used by students or instructors (one microphone including a transmitter with one or more matching receivers)
larger sets (up to four microphones including transmitters and 20 receivers) suitable for larger events (e.g. welcome event for first-time students, panel discussions, graduation ceremonies), where the voices of several presenters can be transmitted to a shared channel or simultaneous interpretation can be offered via a separate audio channel.
The sets can be borrowed from the CIT media lending service by all members of the University of Münster, e.g. instructors and students.
The computer workstation for blind and visually impaired persons is available to students of all disciplines. The workstation is located at CIT – Center for Information Technology, Einsteinstraße 60, rm. 112.
Further information and contact details can be found at
CIT - computer workstation for blind and visually impaired persons
Einsteinstraße 60, 48149 Münster
Tel: +49 251 83-31600
blindenarbeitsplatz@uni-muenster.de
MagniLink’s mobile reading system is easy to transport and set up. Once the instructor establishes a connection to a monitor or computer, visually impaired participants can, for example, view black- or whiteboard images directly onto their (mobile) device or read magnified, non-digitised texts on a screen.
The mobile reading system with black-/whiteboard camera can be borrowed by all members of the University of Münster, e.g. instructors and students, from the CIT media lending service.
The University Library (ULB) offers various services which provide accessibility to visitors with disabilities (e.g. individual assistance with catalogue searches and book loans, optoelectronic reading system for people with visual impairments).
For more information on accessibility and contact details, visit the website of the University Library (ULB).
The Competence Centre for Digital Accessibility, headed by the TU Dortmund, supports North Rhine-Westphalian universities with implementing legal mandates on digital accessibility. The staff also show students with disabilities how to use assistive tools effectively in everyday academic life. The online student platform provides information on exchange opportunities, special events and workshops.
TU Dortmund operates and maintains a special media catalogue called ‘Sehkon’, containing a comprehensive directory of catalogued media for the visually impaired with citable literature from German academic libraries. In addition, most of the listed media can be obtained through interlibrary loans.