Engelli Birim İç Paydaş Çalıştayı İncelemesi: Engelsiz Fikirler Çalıştayı Örneği

University Disability Unit Internal Stakeholder Workshop Review: An Example Of The Barrier-Free Ideas Workshop

Abstract

Obstacles can be defined as an external factor that makes it difficult for individuals to move. This definition can be interpreted as the meaning of the word "disabled" to refer to individuals who face many obstacles due to their special needs. The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) has established units in higher education institutions to facilitate the lives of individuals who face obstacles in higher education institutions. In this context, the disabled student units of the universities established within this framework organize trainings on these issues, develop assistive technologies, and support innovative approaches in order to provide academic, social, and physical access to university environments for disabled students who are receiving higher education, to take necessary precautions and make improvements. In addition, universities have the purpose of producing knowledge, developing approaches, and making policy contributions on issues that concern society. These contributions can be considered as raising awareness, providing solutions, and developing new approaches in order to eliminate the obstacles that society creates for people with special needs. It is also stated as a responsibility by the Regulation on Consultation and Coordination of Disabled Students in Higher Education Institutions that all universities established by YÖK should work in this sense. Making the mentioned studies to the desired extent will ensure the elimination of obstacles and the spread of accessibility. Thus, academic, social, and physical accessibility will spread accessibility culture by moving from university to society. When it is aimed for accessibility to be a culture in different dimensions, it is essential to carry out educational and awareness-raising studies in universities. Taking all these into account, different accessibility workshops are organized in universities. In this research, FSMVÜ Accessible Ideas Workshop - 3, which was held with internal stakeholders, was examined. The aim of the research is to measure the impact of the internal stakeholder participation workshop organized by the Accessible FSMVÜ Unit on the participants. The measurement was carried out with the staff and students who participated in the FSMVÜ Accessible Ideas Workshop, which was organized to ensure accessibility in education, space, and socio-cultural activities. A survey was sent to 134 academic, administrative staff, and students by researchers about the contributions of the workshop. 28 workshop participants voluntarily answered the survey questions without disclosing their identity. These answers were analyzed by content analysis from among qualitative research methods. According to the research results, the workshop has raised awareness of accessibility problems and solutions, provided new information, removed prejudices and transformed incorrect information, and encouraged new studies. It was found that conducting workshops with internal stakeholders is beneficial in teaching and reminding participants about their roles in accessibility and gaining new roles. It is recommended to increase the number of workshops and similar studies in order to spread the accessibility culture within and outside the institution.