Students with disabilities in higher education – the perspective of formal support services

Abstract

Higher education plays a pivotal role in preparing students for the labour market by providing education at the university level required for work in the chosen field. The EU member states, including Croatia, invest in higher education through different operational programmes to increase access to education for all citizens. Equal access to higher education for all is at the core of EU education policies for inclusion. Moreover, the education policy importance rises on the European agenda as the concept of knowledge society becomes central to European competitiveness on the global market. This paper aimed to examine how professionals employed by support services for students with disabilities perceive the respect of the right to higher education for students with disabilities at the University of Zagreb. The paper is based on qualitative research from 2019, which involved semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis of data. The research included 10 professionals employed by the support services for students with disabilities at the University of Zagreb. Although the results indicated certain good practice examples of respecting the right to higher education, they also pointed out the challenges that ought to be addressed in line with contemporary inclusive practices in Europe. In the future, improvements are recommended in the following areas: standardising assistance and transportation, adapting infrastructure, continuing training of the teaching staff, raising student awareness and human resource development at the Office for Students with Disabilities.