Since January 2020, the Jagiellonian University in Krakow has been implementing a project titled Responsible Support and Sustainable Development co-financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund under the Knowledge - Education - Development Programme. The project is implemented as part of the National Centre for Research and Development’s ‘Accessible University’ competition.

Project objectives

The main objective of the Responsible Support and Sustainable Development project is to increase the Jagiellonian University’s accessibility taking into account the needs of persons with permanent or temporary disabilities and reduced mobility due to age, illness or accidents. As part of this project, the university will further adapt its physical environment, procedures, organisational structure as well as plan the development of specialist services and educational support. The goal will be achievable through the implementation of tasks aimed directly at the Jagiellonian University, its students and staff, as well as the non-academic environment in the period from January 2020 until October 2023. The implementation of the project objectives will lead to the achievement by the University of top-level availability.

The results of the project will include:

• Development of model architectural solutions for the JU and their implementation in the Centre of Academic Support
• Review, development and implementation of modern internal procedures, compliant with the notion of accessibility
• Training for students and staff, conducted both on-site and remotely. These will raise awareness of disability in the academic community of the Jagiellonian University and all experiences will be passed on to other universities.
• Creation of a modern navigation and information distribution system for persons with disabilities who study or work at the JU
• Development of a system of Polish Sign Language interpretation
• Adjustment of JU websites to meet the requirements of the international WCAG accessibility standards
• Development of solutions in the field of support for persons with disabilities entering the open labour market and knowledge about accessible products that can support this process

In the context of the project, the Jagiellonian University is going to develop cooperation with the community of persons with disabilities, other Polish universities and international institutions.

For two decades, the Jagiellonian University has been working towards the inclusion of persons with disabilities in mainstream education. However, despite consistent implementation of this policy and stable funding guaranteed for some time now, there are still areas and existing solutions which need to be improved as well as new groups of stakeholders who can be approached with an offer of support.

Accessibility of such a large institution as the Jagiellonian University requires many years of efforts - comprehensive actions and breaking down barriers, especially mental ones. They are the most difficult to remove and it takes the longest time. That is why the project involves a series of systemic training sessions, which will include a wider group of participants than before, in order to change this state of affairs for good and to ensure that more persons with disabilities have a permanent place in the academic community.

Stable, modern support of a responsible, clearly defined nature is characteristic of an institution that wants to develop in a sustainable way. This support must be based on the criterion of reasonable accommodation, i.e. be in line with the social understanding of disability championed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by Poland in 2012.

Project value: PLN 11,127,813.14

Share of EU funding: PLN 10,793,978.74

A description of individual tasks implemented in the project is available at  przelamuj.uj.edu.pl/zadania (in Polish)

More information at: www.przelamuj.uj.edu.pl. (in Polish)