| Abstract | Asistivna tehnologija obuhvaća uređaje, opremu, sisteme koji pomažu osobama s invaliditetom da obavljaju svakodnevne aktivnosti, pomaže pri poboljšanju funkcionalnost i kvalitete života. Primjeri uključuju slušne aparate, invalidska kolica, štapove za slijepe i slabovidne, vibracijske alarme i signalizacije, štake, štapove i slična pomagala. Studenti s invaliditetom su osobe koje pohađaju obrazovne ustanove i imaju trajne ili privremene fizičke, senzorne, intelektualne, emocionalne ili psihosocijalne poteškoće koje značajno utječu na njihovu sposobnost ravnopravnog sudjelovanja u obrazovnom procesu. Te poteškoće mogu uključivati oštećenje vida ili sluha, poteškoće u učenju, motoričke ili razvojne poremećaje te mentalne poteškoće. Kako bi postigli svoje obrazovne ciljeve, tim studentima često su potrebni specifično prilagođeni programi, podrška ili asistivna tehnologija. Asistivna tehnologija igra glavnu ulogu u obrazovanju studenata s invaliditetom, omogućujući im ravnopravno sudjelovanje u akademskim aktivnostima.
Ciljevi ovog istraživanja bili su prikupiti podatke o korištenju i dostupnosti asistivne tehnologije, odnosno uvidjeti je li asistivna tehnologija jednako dostupna svim studentima bez obzira na invaliditet te vidjeti koriste li studenti s tjelesnim poteškoćama više asistivnu tehnologiju od slijepih odnosno slabovidnih studenata i od gluhih tj. studenata s oštećenjem sluha. Podatci su prikupljeni s pomoću elektroničke ankete provedene na studentima s invaliditetom riječkog Sveučilišta te na kraju obrađeni jednostavnom statistikom, a rezultati su prikazani s pomoću grafova te izraženi u postotcima. Od ukupnog broja od 100 studenata s invaliditetom na riječkom Sveučilištu u istraživanju je sudjelovalo njih 25. S obzirom na vrstu invaliditeta dominiraju tjelesne teškoće (56%), zatim sljepoća I slabovidnost (24%), oštećenje sluha (12%), autoimmune bolesti (4%) te poremećaji iz spektra autizma (4%). Na pitanje utječe li asistivna tehnologija pozitivno na postizanje akademskog uspjeha čak je 85% studenata odgovorilo da utječe, a tek 15% da asistivna tehnologija nema utjecaj na njihov akademski uspjeh. Kada se upitalo student jesu li se susreli s problemima prilikom nabavljanja asistivne tehnologije većina ih je odgovorilo da nisu imali nikakvih problema (77%) dok su ostali naveli da su pomagala preskupa (7%), da kvaliteta ne odgovara cijeni (8%) te da je procedura za odobravanje nabavljanja pomagala teška i komplicirana (8%). Istraživanjem su se odbacile sve postavljene hipoteze jer se ispostavilo da je asistivna tehnologija jednako dostupna svim studentima bez obzira na invaliditet te da studenti s tjelesnim oštećenjima (48%) ne koriste asistivne tehnologije više od slijepih (83%) i gluhih studenata (100%).
U Republici Hrvatskoj bi se trebale provoditi kampanje za podizanje svijesti o pravima i potrebama studenata s invaliditetom, kao i o važnosti inkluzivnog obrazovanja te bi trebala biti osigurana bespovratna sredstva ili subvencija za nabavu asistivne tehnologije. |
| Abstract (english) | Assistive technology includes devices, equipment, and systems that help individuals with disabilities perform daily activities, improve functionality, and enhance their quality of life. Examples include hearing aids, wheelchairs, white canes for the blind and visually impaired, vibrating alarms and signals, crutches, canes, and similar aids. Students with disabilities are individuals who attend educational institutions and have permanent or temporary physical, sensory, intellectual, emotional, or psychosocial difficulties that significantly impact their ability to participate equally in the educational process. These difficulties can include visual or hearing impairments, learning disabilities, motor or developmental disorders, and mental health conditions. To achieve their educational goals, these students often require specific adapted programs, support, or assistive technology. Assistive technology plays a crucial role in the education of students with disabilities, enabling them to participate equally in academic activities.
The objectives of this research were to collect data on the use and availability of assistive technology, to determine whether assistive technology is equally accessible to all students regardless of disability, and to see whether students with physical disabilities use assistive technology more than blind or visually impaired students and deaf or hearing-impaired students. Data were collected through an electronic survey conducted among students with disabilities at the University of Rijeka, analyzed using simple statistics, and the results were presented in graphs and expressed as percentages. Out of a total of 100 students with disabilities at the University of Rijeka, 25 participated in the research. Regarding the type of disability, physical disabilities dominate (56%), followed by blindness and visual impairment (24%), hearing impairment (12%), autoimmune diseases (4%), and autism spectrum disorders (4%). When asked whether assistive technology positively impacts their academic success, 85% of students responded that it does, while only 15% said that assistive technology does not affect their academic success. When asked if they encountered any problems in acquiring assistive technology, 77% of students said they had no issues, while the rest indicated that the aids are too expensive (7%), the quality does not match the price (8%), and the approval process for obtaining the aids is difficult and lengthy (8%). The research rejected all the hypotheses, as it turned out that assistive technology is equally accessible to all students regardless of disability and that students with physical disabilities (48%) do not use assistive technology more than blind (83%) and deaf students (100%).
In the Republic of Croatia, campaigns should be conducted to raise awareness about the rights and needs of students with disabilities, as well as the importance of inclusive education, and grants or subsidies for the procurement of assistive technology should be provided. |
