Erciyes University Barrier-Free Campus Unit, which was established to facilitate the lives of disabled students studying at Erciyes University, university staff and all other disabled individuals who have contact with the campus, acts as a bridge between students and the academic and administrative level. The activities of the unit are carried out in line with the “Erciyes University Barrier-free Campus Unit Directive”, prepared based on the 11th article of the Regulation on Higher Education Institutions Counseling and Coordination for the Disabled, published in the Official Gazette dated 14.08.2010 and numbered 27672, and on the Article 15 of the “Law on the Disabled and Amending Certain Laws and Statutory Decrees”, dated 01.07.2005 and numbered 5378. ERU Barrier-Free Campus Unit Directive entered into force upon the approval of the Erciyes University Senate in June 2013, and the unit has been restructured and has been implementing its activities since then. Affiliated to the Rectorate, the unit identifies academic, administrative, physical, psychological, accommodation and social needs of students with disabilities in our university and determines, plans and implements what needs to be done to meet these needs.

Management and Executive Bodies of the Unit are composed of the Executive Board, Quality Assurance System Commission, Coordinator and Representatives of ERU Barrier-Free Campus Unit.

Coordinator: The academic staff member responsible for coordinating the activities of the unit.

Executive Board: In the Executive Board formed under the presidency of the relevant Vice-Rector, there are 13 (thirteen) members, including the coordinator, 8 lecturers from the relevant faculties and schools, the representatives of the Department of Health, Culture and Sports and the Construction and Technical Works Department, and the representative of the Student Council. Quality Assurance System Commission: The task of this commission is to establish the internal and external quality assurance system of the institution regarding the quality improvement and the evaluation of research and development activities and administrative services of the institution in line with the strategic plan and objectives of the institution, to identify institutional indicators and to present the activities that will be carried out in this context to the supreme board. Representatives of ERU Barrier-Free Campus Unit: They are composed of the administrators and/or the representatives who are/will be assigned to work in coordination with the ERU Barrier-Free Campus Unit, the representatives of the Departments and the representatives of the Student Council.

1. WEB PAGE EDITING ACTIVITIES

The website of the Barrier-Free Campus Unit has been created and associated with the university homepage. There are following sections on the web page of the unit: the establishment of the unit, the way of work, the ERU Barrier-Free Campus Unit Directive, the management and representatives of the unit, activities of the unit, announcements, laws, related links and application forms.

Website: http://engelsiz.erciyes.edu.tr

E-mail: engelsiz@erciyes.edu.tr

2. ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS with DISABILITIES

Identification of students with disabilities and their applications to the Barrier-free Campus Unit are entirely voluntary. The unit provides support in line with the student's request. The principle of confidentiality and trust is essential in the works.

2.1. Identification of Newly Enrolled Students

Since the 2008-2009 academic year, in order to identify newly enrolled students, the unit’s stand has been opened during registration; therefore, newly enrolled students have been identified and registered. With the transition to the online registration system in the 2013-2014 registration period, questions about disability were added and students with disabilities were identified during pre-registration.

2.2. Identification of Students with Disabilities among Existing Students

- In accordance with the decision taken at the meeting held on 25.04.2013, all units were informed in an official letter that they should determine their representatives, and lists were created. Existing disabled students in schools are identified and reported by unit representatives.

- Student representatives share the problems of students with disabilities by getting in touch with them, make attempts to meet their demands and contact the coordinator’s office when necessary. The contact information of students who declare their disabilities during registration or through the online pre-registration system is registered, and these students are contacted. Communication is established with the administrative and academic units in order to eliminate the difficulties encountered by disabled students in campus life.

- Inventories are created according to the disability types of disabled students.

3. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

- In line with the requests of disabled students, the units where they study provide them with facilities (such as preparing the exam paper in large fonts, giving additional time) so that they do not have any problems.

- Actions have been initiated on what kind of equipment is needed for the visually-impaired to read the blackboards in classrooms and lecture halls more easily.

- Two single rooms in the audio-visual halls in Kadir Has Library have been equipped with computers with headsets that can be used by visually-impaired students.

4. SOCIAL SUPPORT

- Support to contribute to the integration of disabled students into social life,

- Scholarship priority is given to the students in need in line with the opportunities or they are directed to scholarship opportunities,

- Support for transportation and accommodation is provided,

- A student who has problems in transportation to school is provided with accommodation in a dormitory located on the university campus.

- Psychological counseling assistance is provided for the students who apply to Erciyes University Psychological Counseling and Guidance Application and Research Center.

5. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

In 2015, the following activities were organized together with Erciyes University Nursing Club (ERUHEM): Empathy event on May 12 2015, Barrier-free Watching, We Eliminate Barriers in Cinema. “The Story Contest for the Disabled”, organized on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities by the Association of the Visually-Impaired in November 2016, was announced to the students in all units. On December 7 2016, 4th grade students at the Department of Recreation/School of Physical Education and Sports held awareness activities during the Disability Week.

6. PARTICIPATION in the WORKSHOPS, CONGRESSES and SYMPOSIUMS

- Participation in the 13th Barrier-Free Universities Regional Meeting on March 12-13, 2015.

- Participation in the 15th Barrier-Free Universities Regional Meeting held at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University on April 20-22, 2015.

- Paper presentation at the 9th Barrier-Free Universities Workshop on April 30-May 2, 2015.

- Participation in the 10th Barrier-Free Universities Workshop on May 12-14, 2016.

- Disabled students studying at the Faculty of Pharmacy attended and took an active role in project works at the meetings held in Istanbul on November 27-29, 2015 and December 18-19 2015, and in Ankara on March 5-9, 2016 and April 29 - May 1, 2016, within the scope of the Disabled University Students Initiative Project.

7. WORKS PERFORMED

Various survey studies were carried out in the 2013-2014 period. The aim of the surveys is to determine the prevalence of disability in students who have just started their education, to measure the awareness of disability among Erciyes University students, to identify the disability awareness of Erciyes University academic and administrative staff and to determine the existing physical conditions and needs in the units at Erciyes University. The survey, entitled “Disabled Women Power to Read, Work and Produce”, was conducted in 2015 in Kayseri in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Sabancı Foundation to determine the problems experienced by women with disabilities. The Barrier-free Campus Unit was responsible for the implementation at Erciyes University. In 2016, “Accessibility Surveys”, prepared by the Social Rights and Research Association, were applied to all units at the university within the scope of the Disabled University Students Initiative Project. The results were turned into a report.

8. PHYSICAL ARRANGEMENTS

Works on evaluating the physical structure accessibility of campus buildings and creating a physical structure inventory are carried out and constantly updated. Buildings that have been constructed recently or will be constructed are of a nature to provide full service for the disabled in terms of their physical structure (ramps for the disabled, elevators and sinks for the disabled). However, arrangements regarding old buildings continue. Necessary works have been carried out by the Department of Construction and Technical Works, and activities (such as construction of elevators, accessible toilets and ramps for the disabled) to be carried out in and around the buildings are planned. Some of the physical arrangements have been completed, some are at the project stage or under construction.

9. ARRANGEMENTS for the DISABLED at ERCIYES UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS

- Written, audible and visual directions have been made in common areas and elevators so that people in each disability group can perceive them.

- Application points have been created for each disability group at the hospital entrances.

- Common areas such as elevators, toilets, application points, etc. are arranged in a way that will appeal to all disability groups.

- Required areas are supported with grab rails to facilitate wheelchair transfer and allow wheelchair maneuvering.

- Yellow marked walking paths for the visually impaired have been created in common areas.

- In our hospitals, signs indicating the priorities given to the disabled and their relatives are hung in easily visible places.

- Interior and exterior architectural arrangements have also been made in the entrances of the hospital to ensure that the vehicles used by the disabled can move freely.

- In all units, priority is given to disabled patients.

- Accompanying staff service has been introduced in our hospitals to facilitate the service of the disabled and elderly patients and to assist them in their procedures.

- Areas where disabled citizens can wait and sit while their registration and admission procedures are carried out in our hospitals have been created.

- In the parking lots of our hospitals, places are reserved for the vehicles of the disabled staff and patients, and the reserved places are marked in accordance with the standards.