Depending on the identified needs, assistance may include hiring sign-language interpreters, bibliography in accessible support, third-person support for academic activities, lending of specific material, and the elimination of architectural or circulation barriers.

No, these types of issues should be addressed in the Academic Office. The SNO focuses on three aspects: assistance to students with special needs, referral of students to the Counselling and Therapy in Psychology Office and social care.

Students may request this status when the following requirements are met:
“Students with special needs are those who experience difficulties in the learning process and participation in the academic context, resulting from the dynamic interaction between environmental factors (physical, social and attitudinal) and/or limitations in the domains of hearing, vision, motor, physical health and others, provided that they are duly certified by experts in the fields concerned.”

Students must complete an application form (requested at the SNO), as well as a medical certificate of illness/disability. These documents must be submitted at the SNO, who will analyse them.
Before the final decision, an individual interview is scheduled with the student, the course director, the SNO supervisor and the SNO officer..

If the special needs are permanent, the document is valid for one cycle of studies and must be renewed at the end of each cycle. For temporary special needs the status will remain valid for the duration of the student's special condition.

You can contact FPCEUP’s Mentorship System. Contact can be done directly or through the SNO.

The Mentorship System is a service that provides specific assistance for the integration of all students in the University. It can be contacted by e-mail at mentoria@fpce.up.pt or at FPCEUP, in room 037.

FPCEUP has made a considerable effort to eliminate all barriers inside and outside its building. However, if a difficulty is detected, it must be reported to the SNO or to the Executive Board for analysis.

The University of Porto made available some resources for students with special needs. These resources are managed at the Office for Special Needs Students – GAENEE at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Porto.
This assistance can include the conversion of texts to Braille, the access to specialised software/accessories to aid students with visual impairment and/or cerebral palsy, among others.
Books or texts can be scanned at FPCEUP. Students may require audio recorders to use in the classroom, subject to prior authorization by the teacher. This can be requested at the SNO.
Special needs students who have difficulties with printed texts can access BAES (Open Library of Higher Education). BAES was the result of a partnership between several institutions of Higher Education and allows access to the full text of specific collections of information in an accessible format. It has a collection of more than 3000 titles in Braille, audio and full text in the area of Social Sciences and Humanities. It can be accessed from the U.Porto Virtual Library, with the same access credentials as the SIGARRA.

Yes, if students have been awarded a special needs status and an authorization, he/she can benefit from the special examination period.v