Through the project, we aimed to address vulnerable target groups with disabilities who face various barriers to education, such as inappropriate study materials and assessment methods. The aim of the project was to create an overview of best existing practices and to present innovative solutions for the development of learning content for teaching and distance learning in higher education in the field of entrepreneurship, accessible to differently-abled students, with a focus on content accessible to blind, partially-sighted, deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The key themes that the project addressed are connected to inclusive (higher education) systems, the design of digital education systems adapted to differently-abled students and the promotion of innovative (digital) teaching practices. Through documents, produced in R1 (State of Art, Needs Analysis, Service Packs), we wanted to show that the accommodations that make higher education accessible for the target groups have a positive impact on the whole learning community, etc.
2023-year data of the Department of Lithuanian Disability Affairs indicated that the number of students with disabilities in higher education institutions is decreasing every year – last year the students with disabilities generated only 0,5 % of all students’ sample. Data show that the pandemic period has further alienated some groups of students with disabilities from the study process, for example deaf students (University of Ljubljana data). It prompted the project partnership to reflect on how we can contribute to a more inclusive society through more accessible education. Through such data we identified that some groups of students are particularly disadvantaged when it comes to distance learning. We wanted to create outcomes that would support empowerment of such students and attract them to enrol in study programmes. It seemed to be obvious to stimulate innovative solutions to promote more inclusive working environments followed or being in line with studying processes. Thus, the emphasis referred to comprehensive understanding of disability inclusion with a specific focus on the transition from education to work environment for individuals with visual/hearing impairments as awareness is the first step towards inclusivity.