HIGHER EDUCATION IN UKRAINE: FROM INTEGRATION TO INCLUSION Dr. Kateryna Kolchenko President Adviser for Inclusion, Open International University of Human Development ‘Ukraine

According to Human Rights Organisations Alliance 'Save the Children” about 15% of all school-children are excluded from general school system because of its inability to meet the individual needs of such children

The situation in higher education is not much better. Universities exclude not only those 15% but also many students who have received secondary education

Historically the integration of some students with disability began in the USSR in the 1930s and continued spontaneously only due to persistence and courage of students themselves and their parents

In 1930-th Bauman Moscow Technical University first officially opened its doors to students with hearing impairments. Students studied in separated learning groups with appropriate pedagogical accommodation and occasionally they had contact with other students (dormitory, café, sport groups, cultural events)

Present stage of integration in Ukraine started only in 1999 when the Open International University of Human Development ‘Ukraine’ (University ‘Ukraine’) was founded

Open International University of Human Development ‘Ukraine’ (University ‘Ukraine’) is a non-governmental & non-profit higher education institution, established as the first of its type in Ukraine

University structure: 6 institutes,1 faculty & 1 colledge in Kiev, 16 institutes & branches, 3 colledges in all regions of Ukraine, which allow to ‘deliver knowledge to people’s residence’ for students with low income or low mobility

‘UKRAINE’ in UKRAINE KYIV Mikolayiv Khust Horlivka Poltava Bila Tserkva Luts’k Rivne Zhytomir Khmelnits’kiy Vinnitsya Kirovograd Dnipropetrivsk Melitopol’ Nova Kahovka Dubno Ivano-Frankivs’k Ternopil’ Storozhynets’ Nikopol’

Kiev Institutions: Social Technology Philology & Mass Communications Economy & Management Law & Public Relations Computer Technology Engineering Technology

Mission of our University – to provide quality higher education for people, who desire to reach their full potential, including those with disability Main goal - to provide equal access to education for people with special needs

Today there are about students in our University, and one thousand students with disability among them. All-together there are about students with disability in all Ukrainian universities

First graduates: June 2004

Students with disability come to our University from special ‘closed’ schools, where they were segregated from society, or they come from families, where they also were separated from ordinary school system

So all participants of educational process (students, lecturers and students with disability) have mutual difficulties, trying to adapt to each other in new integrated educational environment

Inclusive education excludes any kind of discrimination and provides equal attitude to all people, but ensures the special conditions and support for students with special educational needs

Ukrainian model of inclusive higher education was first developed in our University with the help of BESO volunteer prof. Peter Mittler from Manchester University and Joahim Klaus, Karlsruhe University (Germany)

Model is based on such principles: Delivery of educational services to the place where student with disability lives Provision of full access to education Flexibility of educational process and methods Pre-university adaptation to the integrated educational environment Monitoring of learning process and results Provision of pedagogical and psychological support Provision of conditions for comprehensive development of the individual

Since 2003 our University is building first in Ukraine completely accessible University Campus as a model of ‘Inclusive University of Future’

System of educational support : Technical Pedagogical Psychological Medical and rehabilitation Sport-recreational Social Professional adaptation

Technical support has to: compensate for the functional limits of students provide equal access to learning materials provide students with adaptive technical devices and special technologies of learning

Optimization of teaching technologies Transformation of educational materials into a form appropriate for each kind of disability Implementation of modern pedagogical methods of education Provision of educational materials in appropriate format Pedagogical support provides:

Testing psychological profile of each student Care about psychological comfort Providing necessary help in adaptation into integrated educational environment Assistance in personality development Psychological support

Universities have to provide quality educational services for students with disability, but their socialisation is not the University’s responsibility

Therefore in 2003 the Ukrainian NGO of students with disability ‘Gaudeamus’ was created to involve them into full social life and to ruin psychological and physical barriers between them and society

Several Annual events were established by the initiative of our NGO : International Conference ‘Actual problems of education in integrated educational environment’ (2000) Competition of Scientific Work of Students with disability (2005) Art festival for students with disability ‘Shine of Hope’ (2003) Ukrainian Sport Games for Students with Disability (2004)

Socialization of students with special needs, their social adaptation Overcoming of social isolation of students Improvement of their social status Involvement in all aspects of social life Social support is directed onto:

Involvement in active physical activities, including Paralympics Health life style motivation Improvement of psycho-physical condition Increase motivation to learn Sport and recreational support :

Our main pain is that after 6 years in integrated university environment our graduates with disability return to society which is not prepared to accept them as equals, where they are still excluded from normal life, where their needs are ignored

Therefore in 2006 we established Career Development Center to help graduates with disability and their future employers to understand each other better

We are sure that cooperation and exchange of experience between BEARR Trust members and Ukrainian NGOs offers the opportunity to make positive changes of attitude to Disability in Ukraine