1st year, Department of Japanese Language and Literature, School of Education (2017)
I have cerebral palsy, so my feet are unstable and I’m not very good at rapid movement or fine motor skills. I walk with a cane and an assistive device.
The university has arranged for all my classrooms to be either accessible by elevator or located on the first floor or lower levels of the buildings.
Waseda University provides tailored support for every individual. It is a great comfort to know that I can get help whenever I need it. Since the support staff are students like me, they are kind and supportive and it’s a wonderful environment to be in. Don’t worry—everyone is welcome at Waseda University!
3rd year, School of Humanities and Social Sciences (2017)
My left ear is no good and I can only use my right ear to talk to people. For a normal one-on-one conversation this is no problem, but during group discussions I find that background noise can make it hard to follow what people are saying. Also my eyesight is poor and I can’t see things in the distance.
I use the summary notes service, where a volunteer takes notes during class on my behalf. It wasn’t until I started using this service that I realized just how much I had been missing in class!
I’m so glad I discovered the OSD. I’ve met so many people through the summary notes service and this has made me much more positive and engaged than I was before. I don’t feel so invisible any more, and it’s all thanks to the people I met through the OSD.
1st year, School of Human Sciences (2017)
I don’t hear anything in my right ear and I use a hearing aid in my left ear. I’m OK in a one-on-one conversation if the person speaks slowly, but in noisy settings or when there are multiple conversations going at once, I can barely make out anything. This means I can’t really follow lectures or group discussions.
I mainly use the Roger hearing aid system, which takes audio of the lecturer speaking and transmits it straight to my hearing aid. Sometimes this isn’t enough, especially during group discussions, so then I might use other OSD services like PC on-screen captioning or summary notes. On-demand transcription of lectures is also really useful.
The wonderful support of the people at the OSD makes lectures enjoyable. Knowing that I have full access to all the information presented just like everyone else is a real motivator to study hard. And I’ve met so many great people—it’s opened up a whole new world! So I want to say to everyone: don’t be afraid because Waseda University will help you to reach your full potential!
1st year of Master’s at Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering (2015)
At the moment I use a powered wheelchair and respirator. I have use of my right hand only, so I can operate the wheelchair and use a mouse but I can’t take notes or type on a keyboard.
I’ve asked for my classes to be changed to rooms that are either on the first floor or can be accessed via an elevator, so that I don’t have to negotiate any stairs or tricky bumps. And because I can’t write, volunteer support staff help me by copying down what’s on the blackboard and taking notes of what the teacher says.
I have muscular dystrophy, where the muscles gradually waste away. This caused great stress and unease during my undergraduate days. But thanks to the amazing support I received from senior students with disabilities and from the wonderful volunteers at the OSD, I was able to finish my degree and now here I am at graduate school. So to those of you thinking of trying out for Waseda, know that there are plenty of people here who will help and support you. Waseda is a great place to study.
4th year, School of Political Science and Economics (2015)
I have to rely on lip-reading. I can do normal everyday conversations in one-on-one settings if the person speaks slowly and clearly, but if there are any more people than that, I find it easier to write things down. So I have trouble keeping up with lectures and group discussions without some form of extra assistance.
I generally use PC on-screen captioning, although it varies really depending on the type of lecture or class. If there are lots of diagrams and equations, or if we have to write lots of stuff in the textbook, I’ll request the note-taking service. For smaller classrooms or video content I sometimes use the remote support service.
Thanks to the fantastic support of the helpful staff at OSD, I feel more engaged and positive about my studies. I get more opportunities to learn and this has made university life so much more enjoyable! And I feel blessed to meet so many new and wonderful people. I find that you form a deep connection with volunteers because they are right beside you in class. I would urge everyone to make the most of your opportunities by utilizing the incredible support programs here at Waseda.
1st year, School of Social Sciences (2015)
I use a hearing aid, so I can hear sounds OK, but sometimes even when I know that someone is speaking my brain simply refuses to process the sounds into actual words. I’m able to have a one-on-one conversation, but only when the person speaks quite slowly and moves their lips clearly.
Sign language interpreting, PC on-screen captioning, summary notes and audio transcription
As a hearing impaired student I am often asking the OSD for assistance. The volunteer support staff help me out by communicating the content of classes along with additional remarks from the teacher and teacher-student interactions, as well as other things like laughter in the room or the sound of a mobile phone going off. This allows me to feel much more a part of the classroom environment. Instead of sitting alone at my desk trying to keep up, I feel that I am participating in the flow of information and building connections with my fellow students. The ability to be more closely involved in the learning process is for me the best thing about the OSD. And a happy by-product of using their services is that you get to meet a whole range of other students from other faculties and year levels. It’s really expanded my horizons! So don’t ever be afraid to come forward and request assistance from the OSD. Like me, you’re sure to meet many wonderful people and have a great time.
1st year, School of Human Sciences (2015)
I suffered a spinal injury in my first year of junior high school that prevents me from walking, so I use a wheelchair to get around.
I get help negotiating the occasional steep slope on campus, for instance when moving between classes.
The OSD service has brought me into contact with students from other faculties and year levels who I would never have met in the course of my normal studies. It’s been a wonderful experience. Plus, the OSD hosts a variety of different events that are always fun.
Sorry!
The Waseda University official website
<<https://www.waseda.jp/inst/dsso/en/>> doesn't support your system.
Please update to the newest version of your browser and try again.
Suporrted Browser
Google Chrome
Windows version 38 later
Macintosh version38 later
WebSite
Fire Fox
Windows version 33 later
Macintosh version 33 later
WebSite
Safari
Windows version 38 later
Macintosh version38 later
WebSite
Internet Explorler
Windows version 10 later
WebSite
