The Policy of Supporting Students with Disabilities At Higher Education Institutions in Poland — The Example of the University of Wrocław University and Wrocław University of Technology

Abstract

Abstract Students with disabilities are an important group in the academic community who should be provided with appropriate support by higher education institutions (HEIs) from the recruitment stage through education to participation in academic activities. The aim of this article is to analyse the support system for students with disabilities at universities in Poland, in the context of good practices model implementation, based on the examples of the University of Wrocław and Wrocław University of Technology. The paper uses formal-legal analysis, sources analysis and uses quantitative data for a comparative sake. The article answers the following research questions: 1. What are the legal regulations for supporting students with disabilities? 2. How do higher education institutions regulate support for students with disabilities? 3. How do higher education institutions in Poland implement inclusive education? 4. How and at what level do higher education institutions implement the good practice model? 5. Do students with disabilities receive the support they request? 6. Does the implementation of the model of good practices help to increase the accessibility of higher education institutions? As a result, an evaluation of the implementation of support at the University of Wrocław and Wrocław University of Technology was developed. Strengths and weaknesses of the support off ered were identified and the level of support for students with disabilities was assessed based on the model of good practices. In conclusion, both the University of Wrocław and the Wrocław University of Technology have implemented a model of good practice in supporting students with disabilities. However, there is a need to extend the range of forms of support and to intensify some of the forms of support implemented so far.