Εκπαίδευση ενηλίκων σε Άτομα με Αναπηρία

Abstract

Introduction: The importance of education is multifaceted and extends to the whole range of activities of the individual and society. Education is related to the development of the individual as well as to his exclusion in social and economic life. Developing the skills that all adults need to be successful in life, i.e., self-promotion and self-confidence, is an important advantage that can be enhanced by their participation in education at this level. In addition, the existence of post-secondary and tertiary education for all achieves confidence in the individual and ensures that no one is excluded. Purpose: The purpose of the research carried out in the context of the present work is to investigate the participation of adults with disabilities in education and specifically in life-long learning. Specifically, the research explores the distinctions of people with disabilities in education, the incentives for people with disabilities to participate in Lifelong Learning and the barriers to the participation of people with disabilities in Lifelong Learning. Method: The research method that was decided to be followed is the quantitative one using a questionnaire. The research tool used in the present study consisted of four parts: The first part included the participants' demographics. The second part of the research included 4 questions related to the discrimination of the disabled in education. The third part of the research included 7 questions related to the motivations for the participation of the disabled in Lifelong Learning. The fourth part of the research included 8 questions that prevented the disabled from participating in Lifelong Learning. For the statistical analysis of the data, the descriptive statistic was used and the data analysis was per-formed with the statistical package SPSS. Results: The study involved 125 people, most of whom were men between the ages of 31 and 40, mostly unmarried, high school and high school graduates, most of whom had a mental disability or a sensory disability. Conclusions: The most important conclusions that emerge are that people with disabilities are highly discriminated against in the education system. Also, for people with disabilities, Lifelong Learning is very important, while people with disabilities are largely hindered from participating in a Lifelong Learning program. xv Key-words: Disability, education, Lifelong Learning, people with disability, mental disability, distinctions, incentives, barriers.