“‘Hi, I’m Linda and I have a retinal disease.’ I have to say that over and over again,” says Linda Koster (23). “But I am so much more than an eye disease. It’s nice when teachers and tutors know I have ‘something’, but it would be even nicer if they knew beforehand.” The reactions are often the same. ‘Oh, how awful’, ‘I’m speechless’, ‘how awful for you, you’re still so young’. What else do you say to a 23-year-old with an eye disease which could cause her to go blind one day? “I have been getting these kinds of comments for years. I really dread the new academic year, because then I have to tell people about it all over again. Can’t a student advisor do that?”
“‘Hi, I’m Linda and I have a retinal disease.’ I have to say that over and over again,” says Linda Koster (23). “But I am so much more than an eye disease. It’s nice when teachers and tutors know I have ‘something’, but it would be even nicer if they knew beforehand.” The reactions are often the same. ‘Oh, how awful’, ‘I’m speechless’, ‘how awful for you, you’re still so young’. What else do you say to a 23-year-old with an eye disease which could cause her to go blind one day? “I have been getting these kinds of comments for years. I really dread the new academic year, because then I have to tell people about it all over again. Can’t a student advisor do that?”
Discipline
Most students move on from secondary school to higher education, yet this was not a natural step for Linda. “I knew I would have to work extra hard. I work on my studies almost every day, because after five gap years I don’t have time to faff around.” After the diagnosis of her retinal disease, she needed time to think about her future. She worked, travelled the world and decided to study. “Now I sit at my desk in the evenings studying while my boyfriend sits on the couch. I have discipline, no one doubts that.”
Naturally, even the Health Sciences student takes a day off now and again. Or a week, when Feyenoord plays a European final for the first time in twenty years. At the end of May, she left for Tirana with a group of friends to see the Conference League final. “We came home on Saturday, and on Monday I had an exam. Sunday, I spent the whole day studying.” She got a 7.7 for the exam, which means she has only got good passing grades so far this year. Linda is still waiting for one more grade. “Without enough sleep and rest, of course, you won’t make it through the academic year.”
Hybrid education
Hybrid education was a godsend for Linda. “I really enjoyed the lockdown – but only when it came to the education side of things. I’m slower at reading, so reading the slides and listening to the lecturer is often a challenge. I used to skip over parts of the lecture in my notes if it was going too fast. Later, I would watch the lecture again and add things to my notes. Since this last block, she has no longer had the chance to do that. It does help if she gets the slides beforehand, because then she has already read them before it starts. “Then I can concentrate on understanding everything and actively participating. Unfortunately, I don’t always get the slides in advance.”
As a consequence of her eye disease, Linda’s vision is not only deteriorating but she often feels less fit. “When I feel well, I find it really cool to go to uni. If things are not going so well, then I don’t enjoy it as much. If I have a lecture at nine o’clock, I have to get up at seven. If I can follow the lecture at home, then I can sleep an hour and a half longer. That’s a big difference.” Leaving any later is not an option for Linda. “I’d rather be half an hour early than a minute late.”
The five students EM is following this year have all kinds of ideas for better education for students with disabilities. They will tell about it this month. In mid-July, rector magnificus Annelien Bredenoord will respond to the experiences and suggestions they shared last year.
