Inclusive and Equality-based Community Culture at VMU

“For many years, people with various disabilities have been studying and working at Vytautas Magnus University, but until now we have not had a document that would define and systematise these processes, for example, who to contact regarding the adjustment of study or working conditions at the University. The aim of VMU Disability Policy, entitled “University of Inclusive Opportunities”, is to ensure a culture of equality and non-discrimination at the University by providing reasonable accommodations to the study and working conditions and by increasing the accessibility of studies. Each of us is responsible for ensuring that all members of the University community, regardless of their differences and diversity, have equal rights and opportunities,” says VMU Disability Coordinator Miglė Janušauskaitė.

Improving conditions not only for studying or working, but also for sports

Ever since its re-establishment, VMU has been promoting the idea of a university open to people with disabilities, and in 2021 the VMU Senate approved a university-level document focused on increasing accessibility of studies and work by providing reasonable accommodations for VMU community members with disabilities. This will help ensure a sustainable disability action plan to improve access to higher education and employment in higher education institutions for people with disabilities, and to ensure accessible study or working conditions.

“We are one of the first Lithuanian higher education institutions to have a Disability Coordinator and a Disability Policy document. We are also the first higher education institution in Lithuania whose unit, the VMU Sports Centre, has been granted the Lithuanian Paralympic team’s symbol “Acorn” (“Gilė”) in 2021, making it the first facility in Kaunas to receive such recognition. Throughout Lithuania, this symbol identifies sports facilities that are accessible to people with disabilities. This year, the new President Valdas Adamkus Sports Centre, the largest university sports centre in the country, was also adorned with the sticker featuring the Lithuanian Paralympian symbol acorn,” says the University’s Disability Coordinator, listing VMU’s achievements in the field of inclusive opportunities for people with disabilities.

The University also cooperates with various institutions, non-governmental organisations, and associations, and contributes to various initiatives and social campaigns aimed at educating the public about disability.  “Only by working together will we achieve greater inclusion of people with disabilities in higher education and public life” Janušauskaitė notes. The University also has a wide range of equipment that can be used by people with disabilities as needed, including height-adjustable desks, ergonomic chairs with wheels, Braille printers, screen magnifiers, and disability-friendly workspaces in the library departments.

VMU Disability Coordinator Miglė Janušauskaitė

Broadening the range of services

According to the specialist, it is the adoption of the Disability Policy document and the reinstatement of the position of Disability Coordinator that are the key changes in the efforts to foster VMU’s role as a university of inclusive opportunities. “One of the activities of the Disability Coordinator is to listen to and hear community members with disabilities or individual needs and jointly find solutions that would enable them to successfully continue their studies or work at the university, thus creating a more inclusive community culture for people with disabilities based on the principles of equality and non-discrimination,” says VMU Disability Coordinator.

However, Janušauskaitė notes that despite significant positive changes in the inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education, there is still room for improvement. “Lecture summarisation service would be a great help for people with hearing impairments. Students with hearing impairments also need sign language interpreters, but there aren’t enough specialists in Lithuania to ensure that all lectures are translated into Lithuanian sign language. Personal assistant services for people with disabilities are becoming more widespread across the country. We hope that these services will help students with disabilities to participate equally with everyone else in the study process and in other activities in which students want to realise themselves,” the VMU Disability Coordinator emphasises, also describing the situation of students and graduates with disabilities in the labour market.

“Currently, social campaigns, trainings and discussions aimed at educating employers and the general public on the topic of disability are very active in Lithuania. A number of projects are underway, during which people with disabilities are assisted in finding a job. The VMU Career Centre also offers career counselling to all university students and graduates” says Janušauskaitė, noting that students with disabilities choose various study programmes, taking into account their areas of interest, hobbies, competencies, and individual needs, which will later lead to a successful employment. “We have noticed a tendency that students with disabilities or individual needs at our university mostly choose to study Social Sciences, Humanities, and Information Technologies, and they also study at the VMU Education Academy, Music Academy, and Agriculture Academy,” says the Disability Coordinator.

The aim is to meet the individual needs of each student with a disability

VMU students themselves say that the university takes into account the needs of students with disabilities, regardless of the different types of disabilities. “Our concerns are taken into account and, most importantly, the students themselves are consulted and asked what could be improved and how. The University strives to create an environment where a student with a disability does not feel different or excluded. Facilities and spaces are adapted for work, and the tools and equipment needed for the learning process are provided. This allows you to pursue your goal and concentrate on your studies,” says a student in a Master’s programme.

Another VMU student also notes that the main strengths of the University are openness of the community, respect for diversity, and the effort to cater to individual needs by asking the student personally what they need.