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EQUAL RIGHTS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN ACADEMIC

SETTINGS

International workshop

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Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovak RepublicSupport Centre for Visually Impaired Students

in co-operation with FEDORA - Forum European de l'Orientation Académique UNICA - Network of universities from the capitals of Europe

with patronate of Minister of education of the Slovak RepublicMr Martin FRONC

Organizer

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When: September 29th - October 1st, 2005

Where: Hotel PANORÁMA Štrbské Pleso The High Tatras, Slovak Republic

Supported byMinistry of Education of SROpen Society Foundation British CouncilPrvá stavebná sporitelňa, a.s.

Place / Time

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Participants- disability officers - representatives of HE institutions- representatives of organisations of/ for people with disabilities- students with disabilities

Participating countriesAustria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden and Great Britain

Participation

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- radical changes in CEE countries - in the society and in the system of education- movement to the democratic and human society- changes in legislation, that redound to approximation and compatibility within the frame of the European educational environment- lack of contacts and co-operation- lack of information- predominance of local/ project's activities over the system solutions- real attention deficiency to the equal opportunity issues

Why

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Goals

To specify the main tasks and responsibilities of disability co-ordinators.

To discuss and judge the minimal standards for accessible education provisions for students with disabilities.

To support involment of students with disabilities into the international student exchange programmes. HEAG - an information source for international exchange.

To call attention of HE institutions to its responsibility for accessible education provision.

To promote dialogue and networking regionally between experts from CEE and new and old EU countries.

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Long Term Goals

Co-operation in continuous development and evaluation of basic standards applied to assure the accessibility to education in academic settings within the European countries.

To influence the public awareness – mainly in academic community as for the rights of students with disabilities and initiation of the real changes (including legislation changes) in participating countries.

To contribute to a more tolerant and inclusive society by involvement of students with disabilities themselves in this process and by strengthening of competencies and knowledge of disability co-ordinators.

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Program 1

1st day Equal opportunities, personal fullfillness and

partnership - the institutional and the inidividual responsibilty in a democratic world

Opening speach by Joachim Klaus, University Karlsruhe, Germany/ FEDORA

1. Laws and rights - international and national legal background

Alan HURST, UCL Preston, UK/ FEDORA

Monika Svalfors, Stocholm University, Sweden/ UNICA

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Program 2a

2nd day2. Mission of Higher Educational Institution in supporting students with disabilitiesa) Inclusion into Higher Education - a legal, structural and

organisational model to integrate students with disabilities (Institutional aspect)

Joachim Klaus, University Karlsruhe, Germany/ FEDORA Pawel Wdowik, Warsaw University, Poland/ UNICA Elena Berus, Novosibirsk State University, Russia Lelia Kis-Glavas, University of Zagreb, Croatia

b) The role of IT in education of students with disabilities Petr Penaz, Masaryk University Brno, CZ Dusan Simsik, Technical University Kosice, SK

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Program 2b

c) Equal opportunities – equal requirements (Individual aspect)

Francois Lebas, Bordeaux, France/ FEDORA

Elena Mendelova, Comenius University Bratislava, SK

d) The Role of Disability Officers: A Developing Profession in a Changing Context

Alan Hurst, UCL, Preston, UK/ FEDORA

Monika Svalfors, Stockholm University, Sweden/ UNICA

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Program 3

3rd day3. Equal opportunities in international students

exchange programmes, HEAG: a tool to enhance international mobility for students with disabilities

Gaspar Haenecaert, Flemish Centre of Expertise for Handicap and Higher Education, Belgium

Workshop conclusions and recommendations, task for the future, future project suggestions...

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Thank you for your patience and attention !

Elena Mendelova

Comenius University BratislavaSupport Centre for Visually Impaired StudentsMlynska dolina, 842 48 BratislavaSlovak Republictel./ fax: +421-2-65424862e-mail: mendelova@fmph.uniba.skhttp://cezap-www.fmph.uniba.sk