ACCESSIBILITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES |
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Location/geographical coverage |
University of Novi Sad, AP Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia |
Background and description |
The University was founded in 1960, when the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia passed the Law on the Foundation of the University of Novi Sad, which connected previously established faculties in Vojvodina. Today, this University represents one of the largest scientific and educational centers in Central Europe, with more than 50,000 students and 5,000 employees. Its faculties and institutes are located in 4 cities in Vojvodina: Novi Sad, Subotica, Sombor and Zrenjanin. With a developed scientific infrastructure and innovative potential, the University of Novi Sad belongs to the so-called complete or comprehensive universities covering almost all scientific fields. The University of Novi Sad is dedicated to developing an inclusive cultural practice through activities that ensure equal study conditions for all students, and in this context pays special attention to the development of support for students with disabilities. Support services, assistive technologies and adapted work environments are available to students from underrepresented groups. The central building of the University of Novi Sad has been fully adapted for people with disabilities and was built according to “universal design” standards. The University’s information center has an inclined ramp that enables unhindered entry for people with disabilities. All facilities inside the University are fully architecturally accessible. There is an elevator in the Central Building that allows access to all floors. On the ground floor of this building, there is a toilet adapted for people with disabilities. The central library of the University is also fully adapted for people with disabilities and houses the most significant part of the assistive technology intended for students with disabilities: speech programs for audio-screen reading; recorders with voice commands; electronic magnifiers; Braille keyboard; braille printer; the existing fund of publications in Braille; joysticks for computer use; inductive loops; mobile sound amplifiers. All technology is free and available to students of all faculties of the University. Over 32,000 publications in the collection of the Central Library of the University of Novi Sad are, at the request of visually impaired students, available for digitization and later use in the learning process. Study conditions for students with disabilities are continuously improved: all actors who provide support for these students are networking, existing ones support systems are being improved and new ones are being introduced. The Information and Public Relations Center (University Info-center), founded in 2017 as an organizational unit of the University, provides all necessary information and support, among others, to students with disabilities. The information center provides support to students with disabilities in providing information on study conditions and ways of support at faculties, affirmative measures during studies, architectural accessibility of each faculty, scholarships, student exchanges, work practices and employment. By networking all relevant actors into a system of support service providers, the Info-center continuously develops and improves the study of students with disabilities. In cooperation with partner institutions, the Info-center mediates in providing personal assistance, finding an adapted form of literature and an adapted way of fulfilling pre-exam obligations and taking the exam, providing psycho-social protection services, etc. In the process of providing the services of the Info-center, the role of the mentor, who follows and supports students from enrollment to graduation and finding a job, is significant. At the University, the Center for Student Support of the Faculty of Philosophy (founded in 2015) (centarzapodrsku@ff.uns.ac.rs) provides significant support to students in the organization of everyday life, learning and fulfilling student obligations. Forms of support are peer mentoring, peer counseling, thematic workshops led by students under supervision, open doors three days a week and info-contacts. The Center’s activities are carried out by engaging students as part of the learning obligation, that is, professional practice provided for in the study program and/or through extracurricular activities. All students engaged in the Center go through a program of preparation for working with peers under the supervision of teachers and associates of the Faculty. The Student Support Center cooperates with other centers and services of the Faculty and the University, as well as institutions and organizations in the local community and has intensive cooperation with the mentor for disabled students of the University, in order to develop support for their independent learning and functioning. The “Live Upright” center is one of the leading organizations dealing with the problems of people with disabilities and, among other things, it has developed two support services for students with disabilities: experiential counseling and personal assistance. |
Stakeholders and Partners |
All faculties of the University of Novi Sad Students with disabilities All students who need to overcome some difficulty related to studying “Living Upright” Center Center for student support, within the Faculty of Philosophy |
Innovation potential |
The innovation potential is seen first of all in the approach to handicapped persons, which aims to help not only persons whose handicaps are recognized in legal provisions for appropriate relief or affirmative measures, but also in organized institutional assistance to all students who need to overcome some of their problems. |
Success Factors |
It is necessary to provide material resources for the implementation of technical conditions for the study of certain categories of handicapped students, which is also a legal obligation. An appropriate cultural context is also necessary, in which the inclusivity of all students is fostered, regardless of their personal characteristics or problems. |
Sustainability |
Sustainability requires continuous investment in the maintenance of existing equipment and its modernization, as well as fostering an inclusive culture in the institution. |
Replicability and/or up-scaling potential |
The lack of material resources in the educational system of our country is a key problem that prevents many educational institutions from adapting to handicapped students and acquiring appropriate equipment that would facilitate their studies. Cooperation with the non-government sector and the use of all funds available to educational institutions is very important for the success of such projects. |
Contact details |
Detailed information about study opportunities, affirmative measures and support services for students of the University of Novi Sad can be obtained from the Info-center office (Bulevar cara Laraza 5, Novi Sad); by phone on the numbers (021) 485-2048 and 064 813 87 76, on working days from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; by email to stefan.savic@uns.ac.rs The contact person is Stefan Savić, mentor for students with disabilities at the University of Novi Sad. |
URL of the practice Reference document |
https://www.uns.ac.rs/index.php/podrska-studentima-sa-invaliditetom-2 |
Related Web site(s) |
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Related resources that have been developed |
Savić, S. (ur). (2018). Pristupačnost visokog obrazovanja studentima sa invaliditetom – vodič namenjen studentima sa invaliditetom. Novi Sad: Univerzitet u Novom Sadu. |