Disabled students' counselling center - precondition of equal opportunities

Šiame straipsnyje nagrinėjama, kokia šiandieninė neįgaliųjų studentų situacija ir kokį aukštojo mokslo prieinamumo neįgaliesiems pagrindą sudaro Lietuvos įstatymai. Ieškoma efektyviausio būdo spręsti studijų metu iškylančias problemas bei kaip gerosios patirties praktika pasitelkiama Jungtinės Karalystės patirtis. Galiausiai pristatomas tyrimas, koks turėtų būti Neįgaliųjų studentų konsultavimo centras, kuris būtų alternatyvus neįgaliųjų studentų problemų sprendimo būdasLithuanian laws establish that any higher educational establishment provides conditions for a disabled student to study, and the right to studying is granted to any high school graduate. Disabled students of higher educational establishments encounter problems such as physical inaccessibility of the environment, a lack of adapted training and educational materials (literature in braille, audio books, etc.), the living environment (dormitories) is not adapted for their specific needs, the need of assistants, a negative attitude of some members of the academic community. The aim of this survey is to identify the type of a Counseling Center for Disabled Students which would be a solution for the problems related to disabled students. The quantitative survey has been performed including interviews with experts exposed to the disabled as well as disabled students. Both the disabled students and experts expressed a positive attitude towards the establishment of the Counseling Center for Disabled Students as a unit of a higher educational establishment to be initiated by a higher establishment itself together with the Ministry of Education and Science and organizations of the disabled. The Center would be of major importance to the following target groups: disabled students of higher educational establishments and schools, parents of the disabled of high schools, the management of a high school, disabled employees of a higher educational establishment, parents of disabled students and teachers of higher educational establishments; the Center would communicate information, provide counseling services and engage in satisfying the special needs of disabled students.[...]Socialinių mokslų fakultetasVilniaus universitetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta