Developing Inclusive Education for Students with Disabilities in Sri Lankan Universities (IncEdu)

Inclusive Education (2020-2023)

Eastern University Sri Lanka has entered in to new era by associating as a partner of the IncEdu project in collaboration with its principal coordinator, the University of Peradeniya together with two other local universities namely, University of Ruhuna and Sri Lanka Technological Campus and four other renowned European Universities: Masaryk University - Czech Republic, University of Zagreb, Croatia, Transylvania University of Bra.sov, Romania and Uppsala University of Sweden.

As far as the Eastern University, Sri Lanka is concerned it is always committed to improve the teaching, learning and infrastructure access to the disability students. In this context the former Dean of the faculty of Arts & culture Mr. M.Ravi was able to get Rs.2.7 million from the Embassy of Switzerland to improve the learning access to the disability students and now a disability resource center with modern equipment’s available in the faculty OF Arts & culture. Subsequent to this, now the University got another opportunity to get more exposure in disability teaching and thereby the university could be able to enroll more disability students to other faculties as well.

The IncEdu project addresses a significant issues in higher education in Sri Lanka that have not received adequate attention. It intends to develop a system of support for equalizing opportunities for students with disabilities in Sri Lankan Universities. The main activities of the project during the period of 3 years (2020-2023), include, creating community awareness, develop competency of staff of the partner universities in Sri Lanka and to establish a model support center with required equipment and assistive technology. It is believed that promoting and developing access to inclusive education should be given priority in order to treat those students without discrimination and to protect their rights.

The project was inaugurated on 26th of February 2020.