KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

An awareness-raising event under the theme “Opportunities, problems and challenges of higher education for people with disabilities” was held at Armenian State Pedagogical University as part of the project on Access to Society for People with Individual Requirements (ASPIRE). 

Videos telling about opportunities and problems of higher education for people with disabilities had been shown since early morning on large monitors placed in different departments of the University.  Besides, documentaries about inclusive education were screened at all faculties which were followed by discussion. 

Partners of the Tempus ASPIRE project from Georgia, Ireland and Slovakia arrived at the ASPU on the occasion of the day on raising awareness on the right to education of people with disabilities.

The guests participated in the awareness-raising event organised by the University students, watched the documentary on inclusive education and read the posters posted in the lobby of the main building on which students, professors and passers-by had written their wishes, desires and proposals, highlighting the importance of ensuring equal educational rights and opportunities for disabled people.

Prof. DušanŠimšík, a representative of the Access Centre of the Technical University of Košice, welcomed the initiative, noting that it is very difficult to fully meet the needs of persons with special educational needs; an individual approach is required in most cases. 

One of the local partners of the Tempus ASPIRE project – Armenian State Pedagogical University – was represented in the person of HeghineKhachatryan, Dean of Faculty of Primary Education, ChistineTsaturyan, Head of International Cooperation Department, LilitKarapetyan, a lecturer at the Department of Special Pedagogy and Psychology, and ZaruhiHarutyunyan, a lecturer at the Department of Logopaedics and Rehabilitation Therapy.

“All people have certain needs and equal right to education. In Armenia, individuals with disabilities attend special education establishments. It is evident that sequence and importance of education levels is upset,and the process slows down after the elementary level,” HeghineKhachatryan told old.aspu.am, adding that raising awareness is the first important step in ensuring unhindered participation of persons with disabilities in social life.

 Speaking about students’ attitude towards persons with special educational needs, HeghineKhachatryan said their active participation in the events arranged on Awareness Day, notes left on posters allow her to say that students do not ‘mind’ studying with them. 

LilitKarapetyan, who has studied the experience of many countries, says an educational institution in a European county may shut down simply for not providing special conditions and accommodations for individuals with special educational needs. 

“In this context, the Pedagogical University is in an advantageous position: the Faculty of Special Education prepares specialists, besides; individual approach is demonstrated to these students,” she said. 

 GevorgGharibyan, an ASPU student who participated in the awareness-raising event, agrees that people need to be well aware of the problem in order to understand and support disabled persons.  To guarantee equity in education first of all a corresponding environment needs to be created that will accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities. 

“Autism is not a verdict.” “Let us build a new social and educational world accessible to people with disabilities and special needs.” “The soul is the organ of vision, but not everybody has it.Look through your soul; it is more interesting.” “Society is incomplete without you; let’s head together to higher education…” Students expressed their opinions and appeals to the public in the aforesaid notes. ASPU students also joined the flash mob held in different universities.

Armenian and foreign partners of the project summarised Awareness Day with a roundtable discussion, once again focusing on the goals and objectives of the ASPIRE project.