Project ACCESS, for inclusion in higher education

VARADERO, Cuba, Dec 5 (ACN) The creation of 11 support centers to promote the inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica stands out among the results of the ACCESS project, presented today during a conference in Varadero.

The meeting, which gathered a hundred participants in its face-to-face modality, was propitious to present the experiences of universities such as the Agrarian University of Havana, the University of Matanzas (UM), and those located in Ciego de Avila and Las Tunas(central and eastern Cuba respectively), in the application of accessible methods and technologies.

A total of 83 Cuban students have benefited from ACCESS, with services that include psycho-pedagogical attention, academic adaptations, preparation of accessible material and community awareness campaigns.

Noelia Lopez del Castillo, coordinator of the project for the University of Alicante, Spain, said that the initiative, financed by the European Union, improves learning conditions and achieves long-term retention of students.
The expert explained that after four years there is satisfaction with the results, although much is still to be done to achieve the sustainability of ACCESS, a goal made possible thanks to the alliances with institutions in Latin America and the work through a network.

For her part, Mabelys Crespo Rodriguez, a young woman with a physical disability who is in her third year of a law degree at UM, expressed her wish that the transformations aimed at providing people like her with an inclusive and quality education will continue in this institution.

The conference will conclude tomorrow with presentations on topics such as artificial intelligence and accessibility, and the work of networks to meet the needs of students with disabilities in higher education in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.