Inclusive Mobility Alliance

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The number of students with disabilities taking part in Erasmus+ has been almost stagnating since 2007, while the number of young people experiencing Erasmus+ exchanges are increasing rapidly. The question of the inclusiveness of one of the flagship EU programmes has been raised many times over the past few years. Despite many efforts made, Erasmus+ is still considered by many as a rather elitist programme.

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Between 0.17% (Higher Education students and trainees mobilities) and 2.4% (Youth mobilities) of Erasmus+ participants are part of the so-called category "Special Needs". Needless to say, there is room for improvement!

Our solution: to create an alliance of European organisations working on the topic of Inclusive Mobility.

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We have gathered 21 organisations with high expertise in Higher Education mobility, Youth mobility and Disability. The diagram above shows the logos of the organisations involved and how their field of work is interlinked.

The goals of the Inclusive Mobility Alliance are:

  • To gather partners from different fields with a common interest around the topic of Inclusive Mobility;
  • To gather existing material, resources and research papers about the inclusion of students and young people with disabilities in Erasmus+ and share them widely with all the organisations that would benefit from it;
  • To monitor and publish recommendations on how to make the next Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027 more inclusive;
  • To create a long-lasting Alliance working on the topic of Inclusive Mobility for the years to come

IMA Recommendations on making the Erasmus programme 2021-2027 more inclusive

IMA Declaration

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Toolbox on Inclusive Mobility

The following toolbox gathers existing useful material on Inclusive Mobility. Created by different organisations from all over Europe, all the material available is aimed at improving the inclusiveness of international mobilities, raise awareness about opportunities and support systems or provide evidence-based research about Inclusive Mobility.

1. Testimonials

This section contains useful testimonials of students with disabilities in the area of European and international mobility.

  1. MappED! Videos and articles
  2. ExchangeAbility Videos
  3. Que fuerte! Diversamente Erasmus
  4. Studentmobilitet Norden - att studera utomlands med funktionsnedsättning
  5. A Nordic Region for all - student mobility
  6. Study Abroad Experiences by Deaf Students' Union

 

 

2. Interesting networks/platforms

This section contains useful links to network/platforms in the area of European and international mobility for students with disabilities.

  • Abroad with disabilities promotes the participation of persons with disabilities in abroad programmes.
  • The Diversity & Inclusion Resource Center is a centralized hub where administrators, faculty, staff and other education professionals can access the best practices, tools and resources needed to increase access, achieve equitable diversity and incorporate inclusive excellence in global education. 
  • Easy to read contains European standards on how to make information accessible and easy to read.
  • GetAHEAD works to up-skill graduates with disabilities by providing training events and valuable information covering a wide range of topics and resources including.
  • Inclusive Campus Life was an Erasmus+ project with the aim to make life on a campus for higher education more inclusive. 
  • Jaccede is an interactive platform (website and mobile app) that serves as guide to accessibility. Anyone can add details of places open to the public. This helps people with reduced mobility identify establishments that can meet their accessibility needs.
  • The MappED! platform of the Erasmus Student Network provides students with disabilities in higher education with the necessary information about their rights, procedures and support services they are entitled to.
  • Mobility International USA (MIUSA) advances disability rights and leadership globally for students with disabilities.
  • Mobilitytoolkit.ie is a product of a research project from the Irish Universities Association that aims to provide staff at higher education institutions with a practical resource to help them in their efforts to widen and enable participation in outward mobility by all students, especially those from underrepresented groups.
  • The Nordic Network of Disability Officers (NNDC network) a professional network which aim to promote exchange of expertise and experience between the members and between the Nordic HEIs. NNDC and Universell has in cooperation with NVC carried out a project on disability and mobility between Nordic countries.
  • International Communication and Computers (ICC) offers summer programmes for blind and partially sighted students across Europe. Here you can find testimonials of Belgian students on the value of summer programs as taster for further participation in Erasmus programmes.
  • Peer support informs on training opportunities for peer supporters with intellectual disabilities in Europe.
  • Study Abroad without Limits (SAWL) from the LINK-network offers information concerning studying and international mobility across Europe. 
  • Student Minds provides some ideas and tips for preparing for the year abroad for students with mental health issues, as well as blogs from students such as Year Abroad Blues. 
  • Studenttoolkit from Universell, SIHO and AHEAD contains tips and advice on diverse topics from students with disabilities for students with disabilities.
  • DirectLoansLenders - Online lender that provides loans for students with disabilities at a very affordable conditions. Students may choose from payday loans, installment loans, or personal loans.a
  • Wheelmap is a map for finding wheelchair accessible places. The map works similar to Wikipedia: anyone can contribute and mark public places around the world according to their wheelchair accessibility. The criteria for marking places is based on a simple traffic light system.
  • Widening Participation in Outward Student Mobility is a project from Universities UK International that contains a report and toolkit for universities to ensure wide and open access to mobility.

3. Guidelines and webinars on inclusive mobility

This section provides useful links to guidelines and webinars in the context of inclusive mobility for student with disabilities.

Check this folder folder to find guidelines and useful documents.

Below are some useful links to online resources:

4. Training activities on social inclusion

This section provides useful links to training sessions outlines that the Erasmus Student Network organises across Europe to promote social inclusion. These activities can be used at general events in institutions such as open days, or in lecture shout-outs, etc. 
It also provides useful session outlines from other organisations such as ENIL - European Network on Independent Living.

TSOs available here folder.

We also recommend checking the SALTO Inclusion and Diversity resources for more training material developed by and for Youth Workers on the inclusion topic: https://www.salto-youth.net/rc/inclusion/

5. Research and policy articles/reports

This section contains useful links to research and resources in the area of European and international mobility with a particular emphasis on widening participation for students with disabilities.

OTHER ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Partners

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