MINUTES OF THE Conference 2012 Support...
Transcript of 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.
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Support and Inclusion of students with disabilities at higher
education institutions in Montenegro
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.
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Support and Inclusion of students with disabilities at higher
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.