Title: Students with disabilities and other special needs in the process of higher education: inclusion issues

Authors: Violeta Vida?ek-Hainš; Valentina Kirini?; Andreja Kova?i?

Addresses: Department of Organisation, Faculty of Organisation and Informatics, University of Zagreb, Pavlinska 2, Varaždin, HR-42000, Croatia. ' Department of Information Systems Development, Faculty of Organisation and Informatics, University of Zagreb, Pavlinska 2, Varaždin, HR-42000, Croatia. ' Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Organisation and Informatics, University of Zagreb, Pavlinska 2, Varaždin, HR-42000, Croatia

Abstract: Nowadays, there is an increasing number of persons with disabilities eager to pursue their education in higher education institutions as well as of students with some specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, etc. A lot of institutional resources at different levels enable the inclusion of persons with disabilities and learning difficulties into higher education. This primarily refers to organisational resources and professional staff resources, including services and student counselling within universities or particular faculties, educational assistants, current legislation (development strategies), financial support, environmental support, ICT support and others. This paper presents initial experiences in organising a supportive/effective academic environment for students with disabilities by means of contemporary information and communications technology. Although the described experiences have arisen from the early stage of establishing an effective learning environment for students with disabilities, they can be valuable in future implementation of such an environment.

Keywords: disabled students; disabilities; educational assistants; higher education; ICT; information technology; communications technology; inclusion; special needs; dyslexia; organisational support; learning difficulties; dysgraphia; dyscalculia; institutional resources; organisational resources; professional staff; student counselling; universities; legislation; development strategies; financial support; environmental support; supportive environments; effective environments; academic environments; University of Zagreb; Croatia; knowledge; computers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKL.2011.043892

International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, 2011 Vol.7 No.1/2, pp.70 - 85

Published online: 31 Jan 2015 *

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