Recently, several policy documents, especially related to the Europe 2020 strategy, have been developed in order to, among others, encourage citizens to attain higher education level. One of areas covered is related to disadvantaged groups, including people with disabilities. As the research on that topic presents (the Eurostat data) the number of students with disabilities has increased, especially in some countries, but still it is significantly lower than for general population. The recent available data states that in Europe First and second stage of tertiary education was attained by 15% of disabled persons while 25% for those not having a disability. It of course differs among countries. Europe 2020 strategy sets out a number of targets, for example: “increasing the share of the population aged 30 to 34 having completed tertiary or equivalent education to at least 40% by 2020. Hereby proposal - “Access to Universities for persons with disabilities” (ATU) with priority to build the system that increase inclusion and study success for students with disabilities will contribute to those goals. ATU proposal aims to elaborate comprehensive and adaptable model of support services for students with disabilities. That general aim will be achieved by preparation of following intellectual outputs: - O1 - The analysis of existing support service for students with disabilities – presenting deep analysis of good practices and failures, problems and limitations faced by HEIs, needs reported by them, legal frames related to national and international rules, etc.; - O2 - Model support services list including structured, sorted list of standard and innovative services that are and might be provided, with their detailed description (needs to which they answer, target user, application conditions, etc.); - O3 - Model structure of support services system - internal structure, including possible internal or external centre, joint actions of local HEIs, formal and financial rules, possible arrangements, etc.; - O4 - Model awareness building at HEIs – aiming at HEIs personnel of various type (academic, administration, etc.), model including methodology as well as adaptable training curriculum, etc.; - O5 - Methodology of implementation of support services into the HEI systems - based on intensive testing of proposed model services in each partner country (testing of results O2, O3 and O4), analysis and conclusions arising from testing phase incorporated in final versions of all those outputs as well as elaboration of methodology on implementation of support systems with use of all produced outputs and expertise on the process. All above elements will constitute comprehensive and adaptable model of support services for students with disabilities at higher education institutions in European countries. The project will be realised during 36 months by partners from 5 EU countries: Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, Czech Republic and Estonia. Consortium consists of 2 universities – Varna Free Univesity (VFU), and Masarykova University (MU), two NGOs working in a field of inclusive education for people with disabilities – Institute Foundation for Regional development (FIRR) and Estonian Foundation for the Visually Impaired (ENIF) and 1 Research Institute . Gathering together this three types of institutions has been planned in order to get the most of available existing systems. Besides know-how and experiences from universities that already have incorporated the support services for students with disabilities in their systems and see the need to further develop them, we will also get the perspective of target beneficiaries of such system. On the other side, the real conditions faced by various HEIs, possibilities and limits will be taken into account as well. The project includes realisation of other activities like: - two short joint staff trainings – first facilitating intensive exchange of expertise and experience, discussions and analysis, and second aiming to debate on testing phase results and final idea of useful implementation methodology. - Multiplier events in each partner country to reach in total at least 300 stakeholders in order to disseminate and promote exploitation of ATU outputs. - Standard management, implementation and communication activities, including 6 transnational project meetings. Realisation of project “Access to Universities for persons with disabilities” objectives will facilitate stakeholders responsible and aware of importance of inclusion in education and equal opportunities for people with disabilities with comprehensive resources and tools. Elaboration of model including so wide and exhaustive information will equip them with structured knowledge, analysis of risks and chances, well established fundament for stimulation of inclusion education policy development.
The project aimed to support exploitation and advancement of inclusive HEI systems with minimizing the risks possibly connected with undertaking new challenges through providing adequate analysis and information. We collected both best and not successful practices from partner`s countries and other available resources presented solutions implemented in European and other countries, needs to met, problems and limitations faced, analyzed them in depth, made a model support services list with adequate descriptions and conclusions and recent research, elaborated ideas for structure and organization within the HEI system, developed the model awareness building activities that could and should be implemented in HEI systems to maximize positive impact of support services for students with disabilities and what is extremely important, we provide testing of implementation of various solutions and elaborated methodology for their effective implementation. Such exhaustive and comprehensive model is to fill existing gap and is a very useful tool for HEIs and their inclusion policy. The international character of the partnership enabled to gather good practices, expertise and experiences from different perspectives – more and less advanced countries, bigger and smaller, public and private HEIs, different legislation backgrounds, etc. That ensured elaboration of flexible and fully adaptable outputs that can have real impact on improvement of higher education attainment. Realization of the project will facilitate stakeholders responsible and aware of importance of inclusion in education and equal opportunities for people with disabilities with comprehensive resources and tools. Elaboration of model including so wide and exhaustive information will equip them with structured knowledge, analysis of risks and chances, well established fundament for stimulation of inclusion education policy development.
The access of students with disabilities, one of groups with fewer opportunities to higher education in European countries is slowly growing within recent decades. It is, among others, the result of implementation of Europe 2020 strategy. The rationale behind that is not only general development of social policy, access to education in general but also development of new technologies and moreover, the implementation of various support services for that type of students. The approach to that type of support, strategies implemented and practical services offered so far vary in advancement level, quality and scope not only between countries but also within each of them. Some higher education institutions are reluctant to extend their system to make it more inclusive because of risk of economic ineffectiveness and concern about its real effect on students with disabilities attainment. People with special educational needs/disability belong among groups facing great barriers at the free labour market (people with intellectual disabilities being the most segregated group), EU statistics show that the unemployment rate of people with special educational needs/disability remains high despite legislative efforts.