Development of university regulatory documents for disabled student support

1. Support and Inclusion of students with disabilities at higher education institutions in Montenegro- SINC@HEConference 10.12.2012. Podgorica Development of university regulatory documents for disabled student support Ramo Šendelj Dean of Faculty of information technology ramo.sendelj@unimediteran.net

2. Development of university regulatory documents for disabled student support • Content • Charter for Students with Disabilities • Office for Persons with Disabilities • HEIs support to OPD • Directives for establishing services for students with disabilities • Scheduling of activities at HEI level

3. 1. Charter for Students with Disabilities • Universities and other relevant HE institutions should recognize the right of persons with disabilities to education. • full development of human potential and sense of dignity and self-worth, and the strengthening of respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and human diversity; • development by persons with disabilities of their personality, talents and creativity, mental and physical abilities; • enabling persons with disabilities to participate effectively in a free society.

4. 1. Charter for Students with Disabilities • In realizing this right, HEI should ensure that: • Persons with disabilities are not excluded from the general education system on the basis of disability; • Persons with disabilities can access an inclusive, quality and free high education on an equal basis with others; • Reasonable accommodation of the individual’s requirements is provided; • Persons with disabilities receive the support required, within the general education system, to facilitate their effective education; • Effective individualized support measures are provided in environments that maximize academic and social development.

5. To address these challenges, a new regulatory framework and process to support a Road Map for the development of support services for disabled students in Montenegrin HEIs HEI Charter for Students with Disabilities

6. 2. Office for Persons with Disabilities • To reach the highest level of providing support to students with disabilities, the Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD) should be established. • The Office should offer its services to all persons with legally recognized disabilities, as well as to those who are able to document the negative effect of health on their education. • We recommended establishing an integral OPD for students of all Montenegrin HEIs

7. 2. Office for Persons with Disabilities • The responsibilities and obligations of OPD should be: • Medical Support Service • Transportation assistance of students with disabilities • Accommodation in halls of residence/dormitories • Rights and duties assistance

8. 3. HEIs support to OPD • In order to provide full support for students with disabilities and accept OPD as organization with mentioned responsibilities and obligations, HEIs should consist of several units, among them the: • Administration Unit, • Teaching Unit and • Computer Centre for Students with Disabilities.

9. 3. HEIs support to OPD • Administration Unit should be responsible for cooperation with OPD, giving permanent information and implementation of recommendations provided by OPD: • provide administrative procedure for students with disabilities with full assistance of OPD • make assistance to Computer Center Unit for selecting ICT services and facilities related to needs and disability of each particular student • make assistance to Teaching Unit and Dean/Head of Departments for adaptation of teaching materials, examination procedures and scheduling tasks • make assistance to Dean/Head of Departments for making decisions about increasing of allowed absences • make timetables available sufficiently in advance of the beginning of a semester for needs of OPD’s transportation assistance

10. 3. HEIs support to OPD • Teaching Unit should be responsible for HIE’s teaching process and adapting teaching materials to the needs of students: • Adoption of teaching materials and examinations based on OPD’s and Administration Unit’s suggestions with full flexibility in considering the educational needs of students with disabilities. • Adoption of teaching process by providing appropriate educational settings that best suits the individual’s needs of each disabled student (e.g. special classes/units in mainstream schools, special equipment in classes, etc.) • Trainings for teaching staff for work with students with disabilities and preparation of learning materials • Cooperation with Computer Centre in order to prepare learning materials and make them available to date on which it is planned to use the materials.

11. 3. HEIs support to OPD • Computer Centre for Students with Disabilities should allow ICT support for: • access to information and knowledge • learning and teaching support  • personal communication and interaction • access to educational and administrative procedures • offering specialized hardware and software equipment for each kind of disability • implementation, development and maintenance of learning management system • cooperation with Teaching Unit in activities about adoption of teaching materials • creation of digital library which should be responsible for recording teaching materials in digital format

12. 4. Directives for establishing services for students with disabilities • In order to provide implementation of services to the aim of creation the proper conditions for full participation of persons with disabilities in all forms of academic life, HEI’s authorities should define directives for their coordination and implementation. • In particular, directives should: • Define the groups of students (based on their medical health and disability) that may apply for HEI’s services and the procedures of submitting documents and criteria for selecting appropriate services • Define the tasks of the units mentioned in the Road Map: Administration Unit, Teaching Unit and Computer Centre for Students with Disabilities • Detailed regulations relating to the implementation of alternative solutions concerning students with disabilities

13. 5. Scheduling of activities at HEI level • All mentioned acts and law regulative should be established by changing/extended already existing or establishing of new. • In order to make all regulatory documents compatible and coherent, they should be established sequentially, as follows: • Rector’s charter for students with disabilities • Senate Resolution (definition of all services and principles) • Detailed regulations that implement Senate Resolution