CHALLENGES OF STUDYING FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY

Položaj osoba s invaliditetom mijenjao se kroz povijest. Pozitivan trend u odnosu na osobe s invaliditetom vidljiv je u posljednjih pedeset godina. Navedena promjena vidljiva je u tri osnovna pristupa naspram osoba s invaliditetom, a to su medicinski model, socijalni model i model ljudskih prava. Unutar socijalnog modela javlja se filozofija inkluzije koja naglašava kako je osobama s invaliditetom potrebno omogućiti punopravno sudjelovanje u društvenim aktivnostima. Iako je vidljiv značajan napredak u položaju osoba s invaliditetom i dalje postoje područja u kojima se javljaju kao podzastupljena društvena skupina. Jedno od tih područja je i visokoškolsko obrazovanje. Prema Registru osoba s invaliditetom procjenjuje se kako je 2014. godine tek 400 osoba s invaliditetom pohađalo visokoškolsko obrazovanje. Pozitivan trend ogleda se i u brojnim pravima koja ostvaruju osobe s invaliditetom u sustavu visokoškolskog obrazovanja. Neka od tih prava su pravo na organizirani prijevoz, pravo na smještaj u studentski dom, pravo na stipendiju i naknadu za dio troškova prijevoza te pravo na upis u visokoškolsko obrazovanje u statusu redovnog studenta. Iako možemo svjedočiti poboljšanju položaja osoba s invaliditetom u sustavu visokog obrazovanja, ne smijemo zanemariti niže razine obrazovanja . Razvoj formalne i neformalne podrške na svim razinama obrazovanja smatram ključnim za razvoj inkluzije koja vodi ka punopravnom sudjelovanju osoba s invaliditetom u svim sferama društva.Position of persons with disability has changed through history. Positive trend with regard to persons with disability is evident in the last 50 years. This change is visible in the three basic approaches compared to disabled persons such as medical model, social model and human rights model. Philosophy of inclusion is presented within a social model and it emphasizes necessity to ensure full participation of disabled persons in social activities. Although significant progress is evident in position of disabled persons there are still fields in which they occur as under-representative social group. One of those fields is post-secondary education. According to the Register of disabled persons in 2014 it is estimated that only 400 persons with disability attended post-secondary education. Positive trend is also reflected in many rights achieved by disabled persons in a system of post-secondary education. Some of those rights are right for organized transport, right to accommodation in student residence, right to receive a scholarship and compensation for a part of the transport costs and right for enrollment in post-secondary education in status of regular student. Although we can see improvement of disabled persons situation in system of post-secondary education we may not disregard lower levels of education. In my considered opinion, development of formal and informal support in all levels of education is essential for development of inclusion which results in full participation of disabled persons in all areas of society