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Home Come to Study! How do I apply or register for the studies? The SORA legislation

Study Ability and Individual Arrangements in the Health and Social Services Sector at HAMK

In higher education studies in the social and health care sector, the SORA legislation is applied to enhance workplace and study environment safety. This legislation grants the university the authority to revoke a student’s right to study when the training or professional practice involves requirements concerning the protection of minors and patient or client safety. The SORA legislation applies to all health and social services degree programs at Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK).

Obstacles to admission and study in the social and healthcare sector may include:

  • Severe skin conditions and allergies to substances such as medications and cleaning agents
  • Serious sensory impairments affecting functional ability
  • Mental illness or severe mental health disorder
  • Substance abuse or drug addiction, or misuse of medications within the last two years
  • Limited social functioning, making interaction with others challenging
  • Chronic illness or physical disability restricting participation in studies

Health conditions or functional limitations are not barriers to admission or study if their effects can be reasonably mitigated, for example, through special arrangements. Applicants should be informed about health-related restrictions during the application phase. Students participating in practical training in social and health care units must be immunized against measles and chickenpox, and those working with infants must also be vaccinated against pertussis. Annual flu vaccinations are also required. (Infectious Diseases Act 1227/2016 §48.) The required vaccinations are provided free of charge to students in the social and health care sector. It is advisable to ascertain one’s vaccination status well in advance.

Social and health care is not suitable for individuals convicted of any of the following crimes: crimes against children, sexual offenses, violent crimes, crimes against liberty, and drug offenses. A criminal record check is required for tasks or internships involving work with minors.

Individual Arrangements

By default, the following individual arrangements can be made in social and health care studies through negotiation with the teacher:

  • Extra time for exams
  • Quiet exam room
  • Oral supplementation for exams (excluding medication calculations)
  • Oral exam option (excluding medication calculations)
  • Use of a computer during exams
  • Flexible performance method for presentation situations
  • Additional time for assignments
  • Personal assistant (arranging an assistant is the student’s responsibility)
  • Accessible space

In social and health care studies, it is not possible to exempt a student entirely from written work or presentation situations. Individual arrangements cannot be made in which a student is exempted from collaborating with other students either. Other possible individual arrangements may exist, but they must always be negotiated separately. Not all requests for individual arrangements in studies can always be accommodated: either it is not reasonably feasible, or the learning objectives of the studies cannot be achieved with those arrangements. The head of degree program is responsible for ensuring equal treatment in education. For more information on individual arrangements, contact the special education teacher.