Paula Pietilä Disability Coordinator University of Turku, Finland Email : paula.pietila@utu.fi

1. On the route towards social inclusion at the university: The personnel training as a practical tool to attitude change Paula Pietilä DisabilityCoordinator University of Turku, Finland Email: paula.pietila@utu.fi

2. Accessibility in Finnish HeI`s • Non-discrimination Act as a part of the constitution since 2004 • According to the Act every the HeI has to be the plan of action for equality and non-discrimination • The past few years there have been a few projects concearning accessibility and disability issues, ( Inclusive Higher Education-project, for example)

3. Accessibility in Finnish HeI`s As results of these projects: • The Bestpractices and bad experiences for building up more accessible HeI have been gathered and studied • A few HeI`s have guidelines for accessibility, special arrangements for applicants/students with disabilities or dyslexia • Especially physical environment of HeI`s has been improved

4. Accessibility in Finnish HeI`s • The awareness of Accessibility issues has been increased among personnel and students • Why do we need take care of accessibility, has turned to a question, how we could do it.

5. The personnel training as a tool to attitude change? • According to the enquiry: Negative attitudes are often the biggest barriers in front of more accessible HeI Most of the respondents thought, that the reason for prejudices is the lack of information: “People don't come to thing about accessibility, because the don't confronted it in every day life”

6. The personnel training as a tool to attitude change? On the other hand…. “Everybody could confront disability/learning problems in some phase of his/her career or life” • Do we need personnel training for accessibility and why?

7. Why do we need personnel training? “Training is important, but we don't have time or money” • Accessibility/equality themes as a part as general personnel training and information for new employers, applicants and students • Every member of the society is the responsible for accessibility at the university • Everyone is also a user of accessibility

8. Personnel training for whom? • Who belongs to the target group and how we could reach them?

9. Personnel training for whom? • Those, who make decisions (headmasters, administrative staff etc) • Those, who revels accessibility in practice (real-estate personnel, teachers, counselors, tutors etc) • Use different channels to inform people: Colleagues are often the best mass media • If they cannot come to you, you have to go to them • Share the information after training through internet

10. What makes a good personnel training? • The members of the staff are often the best advisors to tell, what they need to know • Use the expertise of student with disabilities/dyslexia and their associations in planning and carrying out the training • The accessibility and equality issues are included in all personnel training and information

11. What makes a good personnel training? • Take care that those, who are in key positions get the special information and peer support that they need • Training is one tool to increase awareness of accessibility and disability  Use the knowledge, that people already have, avoid concepts they don't know  Don't hesitate to handled difficult themes, that could arise arguing

12. What makes a good personnel training? • Discussed also things, that have been positive or developed

13. After Personnel Training… • More specific questions will be rising, when accessibility and disability get new shapes • New networks will be born and experiences could be shared and use as a tool for inclusion in higher education