minutes of the conference 2012 support...

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Support and Inclusion of students with disabilities at higher

education institutions in Montenegro

Tempus Project

MINUTES OF THE

Conference 2012

Support ME@HE

University of Donja Gorica, Montenegro

Podgorica, 10th

December, 2012.




The Conference was held at the University of Donja Gorica and organised in

cooperation with the Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro. The

Conference was opened by Marina Vujačić, executive director of the Association of

Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro. She reminded participants that the 10th

of

December is the International Human Rights Day and therefore her presentation was

focused on the rights and current services for people with disabilities in Montenegro.

The second presentation was performed by Vesna Vučurović, Deputy Minister for

inclusive education at Ministry of education and sport, Montenegro. She presented the

hierarchy of all reforms and activities related to pre-university education already

implemented in Montenegro. Also, she presented the main results measured with

increased number of students with disabilities in elementary and secondary schools.

Ministry od education and sport in cooperation with Bureau of Textbooks have started

with publishing adopted books and guides for students who have difficulties with

reading and writing. The presentation was concluded with plans for further

development of inclusive education, providing support, expert and advisory roles.




The third presentation was performed by Lefkothea Kartasidou, PhD, project

coordinator. She presented the main concepts, goals and issues of the project. Also, in

the sense of the International Human Rights Day, she started with explanations of

term ‘inclusion’, justified by the European International Regulations. She clearly

pointed the importance of correct understanding and integration of Montenegrin

culture into EU guidelines, experiences and regulative in order to adopt them

adequately. The whole process of adoptions may be divided into three main aspects:

Adaptations, Modifications and Disability, which Lefkothea described to participants

with more details and indicators of progress. The presentation was concluded with so

optimistic, cheerful but optimistic citation of Luther: ‘We are not yet what we shall

be. But we are growing toward it. The process is not yet finished. But it is going on.

This is not the end; but it is the road. ’

The forth presentation was performed by Ramo Šendelj, PhD from the Faculty of

Information technology, University Mediterranean, Podgorica. Since his presentation

was titled 'Development of university regulatory documents for support of students

with disabilities', he emphasized the importance of inclusion of each university

leaders and presented conference participants: Mira Vukčević, PhD, Vice Rector of

University of Montenegro and both, Slobodan Backović, PhD, Recor and Janko

Radulović, PhD, Vice Rector of University „Mediterranean“. He presented results of

DEV 2.2. with Roadmap for changes in HEIs with different aspects, such as

organizational, administrative, financial, etc. Mira Vukčević, PhD, Vice Rector of

University of Montenegro pointed that even if the University of Montenegro is not a

partner institution, they want to provide full capacities (human, spatial, etc) for furter

support of students with disabilities in Montenegro. The presentation was concluded

by agreeing of establishing joint chapter for students with disabilities, signed by

Rectors of all three universities in Montenegro.

The final presentation of the morning session was performed by Sandra Tinaj, MSc

from the University of Donja Gorica. She presented the results of DEV 2.3 related to

services of support to students with disabilities.

The morning session was concluded by open discussion in which representatives of

universities took the main part. They were concerned mainly about two things:

financial sustainability of planned services and both, employment and further

inclusion of graduated students with disabilities. Based on financial issues, they

agreed about establishing one Office for Persons with Disabilities located at the

Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro with specific units at each

University. Also, they pointed out the importance of enrolment of all state institutions

and bodies in providing adequate employment capacities for graduated students with




disabilities. Based on their previous experience in education, participants also

discussed about possible problems that were presented in the past, such as: language

terms (the translation of ‘students with disabilities’ on Montenegrin language),

distribution of money from the state budget for people with disabilities, etc.

ROUND TABLE

After morning session and short brake, one round table was organized instead of two

foreseen, and after that time was spend on discussion. All participants had 10 minutes

for presentation.

I The rights people with disabilities and their inclusion in HEIs

The participants of the round table were Pawel Wdowik (UW), Joe Cullen (Arcola),

Victoria Mihović (IERK).

This round table was opened by Pawel Wdowik. At the beginning he told that he was

extremely pleased with the readiness of the State University to participate in the

implementation of the project. Then he noted that for students with disabilities are

particularly important to respect the concept of equality, which means two very

important things: to have the same rights and to have the same responsibilities as

other students. He emphasized the most important rights regarding to education that

must be provided to students with disabilities: freedom of choice of the study

program, providing the same quality of exams and tests, the full access to information

(oral and written) disseminated to students, the right to full participation in any

academic or social aspect of university life, the protection of information concering

the disability and / or health as strictly confidential. At the end, he mentioned that

universities must have a clearly defined policy for students with disabilities, and drew

attention that students sometimes seek irrational, expensive things, and therefore must

be take care that services, which will be provided by universities, have to be

financially rational and that students must have right of choice of whether or not they

want to use certain services to which they are entitled.

Joe Cullen is concentrated his presentation on the policies and practices of inclusion

in the EU countries. At the beginning of his speech, he stressed that the legal form

must be clear and that adoption of the acts at the universities must comply with the

UN Convention on the Rights of Students with Disabilities, which is considered as the

most important legal regulation for this area. The practice in EU is that they have

three policies that define in detail the rights and actions that countries should

undertake to provide support for people with disabilities, such as: basic rights, an

action plan for people with disabilities, and big policies such as education strategy

2020. Then, he showed the table with levels of implementation of above policies in

EU countries. He mentioned the problems regarding to this issue which exist in the

EU.




As a major problem in the EU countries he noted that countries has a different way in

use of the same policies, and, because of that come to a paradoxical situation – with

more regulation in the field of education students with disabilities, countries find

more ways to avoid obey the policies. Another problem is that there is no obligation

for the universities to respect these policies. He told that didn’t note any great help to

university graduates at labor market.

After practices of the EU, he passed on situation in our country. Joe thinks that the

key problem with implementation of the project in Montenegro is absence of records

about number of young people with disabilities who will in future attend the

university. For his opinion, the three key priorities for Montenegro in the future

should be:

1. Raising awareness about people with disabilities

2. Ensuring of necessary finances for the project sustainability

3. System support to students with disabilities - support before and after studies

He finished his presentation noting that a problem with the terminology is not the key

issue, and that we should give more attention to solve problems with inclusion.

Viktorija Mihović drew attention to three important things that must be done in the

future. Firstly, we must obey the legal regulations regarding persons with disabilities

(various international conventions signed by the MNE by now), the second- raising

awareness of the population about the type of attitudes towards people with

disabilities, and as third she stated that we must ensure the accessibility of facilities

and institutions of higher education for persons with disabilities




II Support services for persons with disabilities in HEIs

At this round table word had Natasha Mauko (DSIS) and Lefkothea Kartasidou

(UOM).

Nataša Mauko spoke about the experience and practice at the Slovenian universities.

Exposition began noting that in Slovenia, at the state level is not defined who is

considered as student with disability, and that is not clearly defined terminology that

is used. Then she focused his presentation to the Slovenian universities, where a total

of four universities only two have formally defined policy and rights for students with

disabilities, while the other two apply the same policy, but informally.

Students with disabilities in Slovenia receive two status, one in the process of

application and selection students for entry to college, and the other is to acquire

student status. Also, he emphasized an interesting way of adapting study for people

with disabilities – which high school graduates visit faculties a few months before

enrollment and after monitoring they suggest to them what necessary (which services)

is for the smooth running of university. Then she said which services are provided to

students with disabilities at Slovenian universities, and shared experiences between

teachers and students. The major problem in Slovenia is the absence of a system for

monitoring the quality of support services to students with disabilities, as well as lack

of finance to overcome this problem.




Then, instead of her colleague, Lefkothea Kartasidou addressed the audience and she

spoke about experience of Greece and referred to the activities that have been made

on the project by now. She mentioned the reasons why students with disabilities are

harder to finish college, which is substantiated by examples and ways how it can be

solved. Some of the examples that she noted were lack of knowledge of teachers

about previous knowledge students with disabilities, the behavior towards them, then

inconsistency goals of professors and students with disabilities, the lack of

consultation on the key problems of life.




III Discussion

First, Marina Vujačić (AYDM)) who gave her comment regarding the rights and

responsibilities of students with disabilities about which Pawel Wdowik spoke,

primarily referring to the freedom of choice of study program. She repeated that in

Montenegro there isn’t no one Faculty is not fully accessible to people with

disabilities, but that's the best situation at the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of

Political Sciences. Also, she noted that society must provide the right of choice pof

study program. Then Marina is alleged her examples about categorization and

classification during the studies and how she was embarrassing.

Pawel Wdowik (UW) has completely agreed with Marina's statement and repeated

that the universities must ensure equality for all students, and provide students an

opportunity to choose a program of study for themselves.

Joe Kullen has agreed with the previous speakers and added that the two conclusion

which are brought today is that in Montenegro there is no official record of the

persons with disabilities and there is no developed a system that would carry out such

records. In the end, he again stressed that the more EU legislative acts in this field it

leaves more room for manipulation on a national level.




Ramo Šendelj pointed out that the universities will have good benefits from this

project, but drew attention that Government must stand behind this problem. He

thinks that the best solution will be obligation for universities to respect some

recommendations from this project in order to obtain accreditation for work.

Workshops were divided based on topics.

Disability concept, rights of persons with disabilities;

Language, etiquette, and disability culture when communicating and

interacting with persons with disabilities

Support services and accessibility

There were more than 30 participants, students with disabilities, students without

disabilities, students from Gymnasium ‘’Slobodan Skerovic’’ and students from

Resource center for schooling and rehabilitation of persons with hearing and speech

disorders.

First workshop- ‘’Disability concept, rights of persons with disabilities’’ was

conducted by Milenko Vojicic from Association ‘’Plegije’’-Niksic.

In his presentation focus was on disability as a relation between persons with

disabilities and the society in which they live. Also, he refers to terminology

regarding disability and explaining term ‘’persons with disability’’. Point is that in

first place we put person and not disability.

Most of the Laws and regulations concerning persons with disabilities in Montenegro

are not implemented which make impossible realization of their human rights.

He also emphasized the fact that most of person with disabilities are still passive

subjects in social processes and that awareness change is necessary. Persons with

disabilities must be visible, must be able to express their opinions on different

matters.

Students with disabilities talked about their everyday problems at Universities,

problems regarding inaccessibility in building environment, traffic… They stressed

the weakness of our legal system which is not able to protect people with disabilities

from discrimination.




Students from Resource center-Kotor claims that persons with hearing and speech

impairments are the most vulnerable group of persons with disabilities in Montenegro

(there are somewhere around 3000 persons with hearing and speech impairments in

Montenegro).

Second workshop trainer was Goran Macanovic, representative of Association of

Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro.

Topic of this workshop was: ‘’Language, etiquette, and disability culture when

communicating and interacting with persons with disabilities’’ Goran Macanovic spoke about history and development of human rights of persons

with disability. In his speech he mentioned the most important international legal

documents such as: UN Universal Declaration on human rights, UN Declaration on

rights of persons with disabilities, UN Standard rules for equal opportunities and the

most important UN Convention on rights of persons with disabilities.

Also, he presented development of disability movement through history and fight for

human rights of persons with disabilities and differences between medical and social

approach toward disability.

Regarding situation in Montenegro, Goran said that despite good legal framework

implementation of the laws is weak and inefficient. When it comes to higher

education most of the participants agreed that there is a lot of thing that need to be

improved in order to reach full inclusion at Universities. There was discussion

between students with disabilities about practice that some professors have lower




criteria in exams for students with disabilities. Also, they believe that they have to put

much more effort to prove their quality than others.

Milan Saranovic from AYDM leaded third workshop ‘’ Support services and

accessibility’’. At the beginning Milan Saranovic explained term and definition of accessibility. He

also explained what physical accessibility is and what accessibility of information is.

Support services are essential for realization of many human rights of persons with

disabilities. Persons with disabilities do not have ‘’special needs’’, they have same

needs as others just the way how they fulfilled those needs is different.

Milan Saranovic also spoke about necessity of introduction of the universal concept

‘’Design for all’’ into Montenegrin society which will ensure equal opportunity for all

citizens.

Students and their teacher from Resource Center Kotor point out the fact that students

with hearing impairment has no any support services at Universities and that is

reflected by the fact that there is only 2 students with hearing impairments in

Montenegro.

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