The University of Iceland, University of Akureyri and Iceland University of the Arts have joined in working towards development and collaboration on inclusive higher education programmes for people with intellectual disabilities. Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, and University representatives signed an agreement pertaining to this last week, involving a 16.5 million contribution for hiring a project manager to lead the initiative, with work responsibilities in each university to ensure the collaboration and involvement of all in the project. The Ministry will, furthermore, parallel to this initiative review legislation, regulations, and financing to support the development of the study programme.
"The university collaboration is a very positive initiative to strengthen diversity in study programmes designed for people with intellectual disabilities, ensuring increased access to higher education. It is important to facilitate access of this group in rural areas and offer more diverse studies," says Áslaug Arna.
More diversity in higher education
The role of the University of Iceland in the project is to disseminate knowledge to the other universities and strengthen further development within the university in order to reach into other fields of study. Th University of Akureyri will establish a similar study programme and the Iceland University of the Arts will look into offering a similar one. The three universities are currently in different places regarding inclusive studies for people with intellectual disabilities, however, with productive collaboration the foundations of the programme can be strengthened, the quality and diversity increased ensuring access for a larger group of people with disabilities to higher education in Iceland.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities places great emphasis on an inclusive society and inclusive education at all levels. Current opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities after the upper secondary school level are extremely limited and the only cohesive study programme is the University's study programme "Vocational studies for people with disabilities" that has been offered since the autumn of 2007, and is under the auspices of the University's School of Education. The university collaboration with the support of the agreement with the Ministry of Higher Education is thus a giant step forward in this field, with increased opportunities for people with disabilities interested in pursuing studies in higher education.