Ways and prospects of development of higher inclusive education in Russia

Abstract

The subject of the study is the problem of the functioning of inclusive education in Russian universities. Through the analysis of modern documents proclaiming the right of persons with disabilities to receive quality education, as well as the actual practice of introducing inclusion in the activities of universities, the author attempts to assess the level of development of higher inclusive education in Russia. The paper describes the main approaches of universities to teaching students with disabilities and with disabilities. The problems of universities that cause insufficient readiness of universities to accept and train people with disabilities are identified. The author's attention is focused on ways to overcome the identified difficulties, as well as issues of improving the process of inclusion in the activities of universities by conducting self-examination in higher education institutions for the university's readiness to teach students with disabilities. When considering materials of a legislative and legal nature, the author of the work used such research methods as analysis, description, synthesis. In order to identify the most fruitful ways of organizing an accessible educational environment for people with disabilities in universities, the method of analyzing pedagogical experience was also used. When formulating the conclusions of the study, general theoretical methods of comparison and systematization proved to be in demand. The main conclusion of the study is that Russian higher inclusive education is currently experiencing only a stage of its development, and it is too early to talk about true inclusivity in the practice of Russian universities. However, the work reflects the measures taken by universities to ensure comfortable conditions for the education of people with disabilities. Among them: the desire to expand the specialized material, technical and didactic base, the organization of psychological and pedagogical support of the category of students and teachers interacting with it. The fruitfulness of the introduction of advanced training courses for the teaching staff, the creation of resource training and methodological centers is noted. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the author of the work introduces the concept of the inclusivity index – a kind of result of self-reflection of the university's activities, which allows to indicate the degree of its readiness to accept students with disabilities.The author also presents the main components of the inclusivity index, which are necessary for clarification when compiling questionnaires for self-examination of the university.