Developing Inclusive Education for Students with Disabilities in Sri Lankan Universities Erasmus Project

Project Title

Developing Inclusive Education for Students with Disabilities in Sri Lankan Universities

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Capacity Building in higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics:

Project Summary

Both International & National norms require that persons with disabilities are provided with special facilities in order to help them pursue their education on equal terms with persons without disabilities. National Universities in Sri Lanka admit a limited number of students with disabilities (SWDs) from among those who satisfy the minimum requirements for University admission under the category of ‘special intake’. The total such number of students enrolled in national universities is small compared to overall enrolment. While these students are, by the very nature of their disabilities, denied easy access to many of the programmes and facilities offered by the Universities, whatever special measures that have been taken to put them on equal terms with others in carrying out their study programmes at the University are far from adequate. They follow the courses without any special teaching methods or aids and experience many difficulties including nonexistence of wheelchair access to buildings, lack of information and suitable reading material, and appropriate accommodation, absence of special teaching methods, learning strategies and assessment methods. This contributes to low grades in examinations, inability to participate in internships, poor interaction with fellow students and disadvantages in job opportunities. In this context, we believe that promoting and developing access to inclusive education should be given priority in order to treat the SWDs without discrimination and to protect their rights. The aim of this project is the inclusion of SWDs in the higher educational institutes of Sri Lanka by accommodating and adapting suitable environments for them. The project has number of specific objectives of creating community awareness, developing competency of staff of the partner universities in Sri Lanka, establishing conducive learning environment for students with disabilities.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 912225 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITRY OF PERADENIYA & Country: LK

Project Partners

• UPPSALA UNIVERSITET
• SVEUCILISTE U ZAGREBU
• MASARYKOVA UNIVERZITA
• UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA DIN BRASOV
• EASTERN UNIVERSITY SRI LANKA
• UNIVERSITY OF RUHUNA
• SLT CAMPUS (PVT) LTD