Role of University Support Services to Visually Impaired Students
by Bruno GENDRON and Jacques CHARLIN
1. General Principles
2. Specific Aspects
3. Future Prospects
Introduction
Within the framework of the 1975 guideline law which makes the inclusion of the disabled a national obligation, the Minister for National Education has encouraged all of the Universities of France to set up departments to receive disabled students. Currently, though such services exist in all Universities, they are varied in structure, ranging from merely one person in charge of all aspects to a more or less permanent staff of people to perform the work of hosting, mentoring and ensuring the integration of the disabled students.
The University of Orleans and University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 count on the services of a fully staffed department.
We will not go into the entire array of services offered by these departments but rather limit our overview to the assistance provided for their visually impaired students, who may be blind or low sighted. We will look separately at the general principles behind their work, and the practical work they engage in.
Back to contents
1. General principles
The purpose of our Departments is to make sure that our visually impaired students are as well integrated as they possibly can be. They must, however, be sufficiently autonomous to attend the University in satisfactory conditions. If that is not the case, we do not have the means and truly it is not within our objectives to assist them towards self-sufficiency.
Initially, we do our best to interview the person preferably before entering the University, in order to discuss with them:
1. their intended studies and professional project : if necessary we help them to define their goals, always respecting their personal choices;
2. their specific needs: remember that there are many forms of visual impairment and each person has their own, individual needs (for instance such as the transcription of documents into Braille, enlarged print, seating at the front of the room near to the blackboard, individual tasklighting, etc.);
3. The solutions we can provide for them: due to the limited resources of our departments we are generally unable to meet all of their needs.
Once the person enters the University, we act as the interface between them and Teaching Staff, Administrative and Technical Personnel and provide them with all the information they need to help them integrate to the best of their ability. We never reveal more than the person wishes to be known of their disability. Sometimes we will not even mention the handicap, if they do not want us to.
If the person so desires, we meet with them on a regular basis to see how they are fitting into the University and listen attentively to their aspirations and the difficulties encountered, providing as much encouragement and guidance as we can.
Back to contents
2. Specific aspects
Last year at the University of Orleans we had 5 visually impaired students: one finished his studies (a D.E.S.S. in Banking-Insurance) and found a job; another earned a D.E.S.S. in translation and we are unsure as to her current situation; the third obtained a master’s degree in Information Technology and is still seeking employment; the other two are still working on their courses (in Law, and a D.U.T. or technical diploma in Information Technology).
We help these students mainly with problems of logistics: although we do not record curriculum materials, we do send documents out to specialist associations. We interface with the various University departments to organise their courses (for instance, indicating the visual impairment to the lecturers) and examinations (we leave it up to the departments to find secretaries, translate into Braille or enlarge fonts). Our policy is indeed aimed at making the components responsible rather than taking over and doing it for them. As regards Braille transcription, we use the services of the City and Handicap Mission of the city of Orleans, which has a Braille printer. We have their course notes printed for our blind or visually impaired students.
For travel purposes we have a minibus which enables us to help those students who are not able to get around safely without help. We consider that we do not have the minimum skills to help the visually impaired as regards their ability to move independently through their changing environment. We prefer to accompany them, at the risk of not allowing them full autonomy, rather than endanger them by making them walk unaided across a large campus of more than 50 acres. Naturally, those students who can get around autonomously do so.
As regards professional insertion, we work in close co-operation with the " Cap-Emploi Prométhée " placement agency of Orleans-Loiret. Whenever possible we prepare for professional insertion however usually, and unfortunately, as is the case with most students who are focused on their studies and not looking ahead to their entry into a career, we therefore have to get our act together with all possible haste at the last minute, if only to fill out the Certified Disabled Worker forms.
For its part, for the educational year 2002-2003, the Handicap Mission of the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 has 6 visually impaired students: 2 studying for a DEUG (1 in Mathematics and Information Technology Applied to the Sciences and 1 in the Sciences of Matter), 1 studying for a Chemistry degree, 1 for a master’s degree in Information Technology and 1 studying Medicine. This number may appear somewhat modest. Certainly, few visually impaired young people choose the scientific disciplines. However understandable it may be, their fears are all the more regrettable since the Sciences, starting with Mathematics and Information Technology offer some very interesting career opportunities.
When a visually impaired student first arrives at the University, we provide him or her with a mentor for a while until they have familiarised themselves with the campus and made their first contacts with the Administrative Personnel and Teaching Staff.
If needed we take charge of the transcription into Braille or enlargement of curriculum materials and exam topics. We also sometimes seek students, particularly those working on doctoral theses, or organise extra help with course work.
When taking examinations, in addition to implementing the procedure of allowing one-third extra time, in collaboration with the University Preventive Medicine, we also in some cases do the secretarial work. The 1994 Circular stipulates that this task must in priority be performed by a lecturer in the discipline, however that stipulation is sometimes difficult to put into application.
We have an adaptive workstation (voice synthesis, font enlargement) at the University Library. In particular, it enables access to Internet. A computer expert on our team provides training on the computer learning workstation.
As regards professional insertion, we work in partnership with various organisations, including a consulting agency Ohé Conseil and Tremplin (which literally means " Springboard "). The A.F.I.J., an association set up to assist young graduates proposes a 6-day session to teach disabled students effective resume writing and interviewing techniques. In September 2001 we signed an agreement with the MEDEF of the Rhone region in which this organisation of CEOs pledges to back our efforts to seek suitable courses.
Upon its creation in 1994, the Handicap Mission of the University of Lyon 1 stood out from the others by supervising an information technology development unit, the purpose of which is to improve quality of life and cultural access for the disabled, particularly the visually impaired. Thus, we developed BraMaNet (a software that translates Mathematics into Braille), Euphonie (a software teaching aid that helps visually impaired students learn computer keyboarding skills) and we have been working for 2 and a half years on an experimental " Guidance " project using G.P.S. to facilitate the locomotion of disabled students around the university campus.
Back to contents
3. Future prospects
A recent survey shows that if 18% of the general population of the European Union has been able to follow higher studies, the rate drops to 9%, i.e. is halved for the disabled. The principles of non-discrimination and equality of opportunities require that we narrow this gap.
Even if notoriously insufficient, efforts have been made by the Minister for National Education and the various Universities of France. The following statistics prove as much:
- In 1991-1992, there were 505 visually impaired students attending University;
- In 2001-2002, that number had risen to 1031.
We like to believe that these efforts will be continued and amplified.
As University people, we voluntarily highlight the importance of culture. It is essential, however, that the diplomas lead to jobs. With this in mind, we are delighted with the initiative made by the University Blaise Pascal in Clermont-Ferrand and the Handiplus Association with the backing of the Minister for National Education and Research. That initiative consists of creating a website that enables any disabled student to look up jobs or professional courses, and enables any company to offer them.
No cause, however noble and legitimate, was ever won quickly or easily. May we all join forces and stay firm and combative in our determination to persuade the Public Authorities to promote a resolute policy to encourage the integration of the visually impaired in establishments of higher learning and thereby enable them to enjoy a professional insertion worthy of the name.
Back to contents
Back to "European Employment Conference" Contents