The Support System for Students with Disabilities at the University of Zagreb: A Coordinator's Perspective

1. THE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB FROM THE COORDINATORS PERSPECTIVE SANJA KRZNARI THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF QUALITY EDUCATION OF YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES IMAGINE CROATIA

2. 1. INTRODUCTION As a signatory of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities the Republic of Croatia has committed to acknowledge the right of education of persons with disabilities and to ensure their inclusion in a lifelong education system, as well as provide the resonable accomondation bespoke to their individual needs Students with disabilities are students who due to illness or injury (regardless of the official decision on disability) have difficulties performing everyday activities at the University ( along with students with visual and hearing impairments and physical disabilities, and students with chronic diseases, mental disorders and specific difficulties in learning) Coordinators for students with disabilities are mostly university professors who are responsible for exercising the rights of students with disabilities for the resonable accomodation in teaching. They are also the link between students with disabilities and the Office for Students with Disabilities, and the Committee for Students with Disabilities at the University Reasonable accomodation- accomodation conducted with the aim of equalizing opportunities for persons with disabilities, which requires no exceptional means

3. 2. THE GOAL AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS Research goal: gaining insight into the support system for students with disabilities at the University of Zagreb, from the perspective of the coordinator of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Law, Department of Social Work, Academy of Fine Arts and the Faculty of Political Science Research questions: Determining how coordinators perceive and talk about their own competence to perform their role Identifying and describing how individual universities adapt to the needs of students with disabilities Identifying and describing how coordinators understand the term reasonable accommodation

4. 3. METHOD Participants: the coordinators of the University of Zagreb and their six faculties: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Law, Department of Social Work, Academy of Fine Arts and the Faculty of Political Science Data collection method: Semi- structured interview Data processing methods: Qualitative content analysis

5. 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (1) Personal characteristics important for performing the role of coordinator : Vocation for this field Previous experience in helping others

6. 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (2) Who the coordinators can contact in case of problems at work: Office for Students with Disabilities as a source of help Imagine Association as a source of help The role of the coordinator as a source of help Ombudsman for Persons with Disabilities

7. 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (3) The adjustment process and suggestions for improving the efficiency of the adjustment process: Adaptation based on an individual approach The development of universal design The importance of educating teachers, students and the administrative staff

8. 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (4) Defining the term reasonable accommodation: Respect for diversity while preserving the criteria Independence as a result of reasonable accomodation

9. 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (5) The existing accomodation of the university for spatial accessibility, transportation, literature and the availability of professors: Increasing need for effective adaptation planning at the university level Spatial accessibility levels at universities Establishing communication between accommodation participants

10. 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (6) The changes in studies adaptation for students with disabilities in the past few years: The social model approach for students with disabilities The coordination of university reasonable accommodation with the changes in the education system

11. 5. CONCLUSION The awareness of the needs of students with disabilities and of their presence at the university is undoubtedly changing, from the perspective of the coordinator for students with disabilities, as there is a need for further systematic preparation of all the participants involved. All this points to an effective progress in this area, as well as the need for further promotion of the competence of professors, the administrative staff and the overall support system, as well as additional research on the subject of equalizing educational opportunities for people with disabilities.