Access To Universities for Persons with Disabilities Erasmus Project

Project Title

Access To Universities for Persons with Disabilities

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 : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Access for disadvantaged; Disabilities – special needs

Project Summary

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.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 266197 Eur

Project Coordinator

VARNA FREE UNIVERSITY & Country: BG

Project Partners

• FUNDACJA INSTYTUT ROZWOJU REGIONALNEGO
• Masarykova univerzita
• CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
• SA Eesti Nägemispuuetega Inimeste Fond
• Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovations – Varna