“I am trying to live a normal life“: The experience of studying at the University of Zadar of the students with disabilites

Svrha ovog završnog rada je pridonijeti spoznajama o iskustvu studiranja osoba sa invaliditetom te potaknuti moguća poboljšanja, usmjerena na smanjivanje poteškoća s kojima se studenti/ce s invaliditetom susreću tijekom studiranja na Sveučilištu u Zadru. To sveučilište zanimljivo je proučavati u ovom pogledu stoga što je ono najveće sveučilište u Hrvatskoj potpuno integrirano u skladu sa zahtjevima Bolonjskog procesa. Osim toga, unaprjeđivanje uvjeta studiranja za osobe s invaliditetom jedan je od prioritetnih razvojnih ciljeva Sveučilišta u Zadru. U svrhu uvida u temu iz studentske perspektive, provedeni su polu-strukturirani intervjui s četvero studenata/ica s invaliditetom koji/e trenutno studiraju na Sveučilištu. Rezultati uglavnom indiciraju zadovoljstvo iskustvom studiranja na istraživanom sveučilištu (osobito kad je riječ o odnosima s drugim akterima na Sveučilištu), ali također i da ima mjesta napretku u pogledu tehničkih aspekata mobilnosti, kao i potreba da dio osoblja prođe edukaciju u području.The aim of this B.A. thesis is to contribute to the insights on the experience of studying of the persons with disabilities and to incite potential improvements, aimed at lessening the difficulties that the students with disabilities encounter while studying at the University of Zadar. That university is interesting to study in this regard as it is the largest university in Croatia fully integrated in accordance with the requirements of the Bologna Process. In addition to that, University of Zadar has made the improvement of studying conditions for persons with disabilities one of its priority developmental goals. In order to gain an insight into the student perspective on the topic, semi-structured interviews were carried out with four students with disabilities currently studying at the University. The results indicate an overall satisfaction with the experience of studying at the researched university (especially in terms of relations with other actors at the University), but also that there is room for improvement as regards the technical aspects of mobility, as well as the need for a part of staff to undergo education in the field