Our university was awarded for the first time in the " Barrier-Free University Awards 2023" program organized by the Council of Higher Education .
The "2023 Barrier-Free University Flags and Program Decorations Ceremony", which was organized to promote a barrier-free university environment, was attended by the President of Council of Higher Education, Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar. It was held on 5th of June, 2023. In the program in which university rectors and disabled students took part, 21 university rectors who received the 'Barrier-Free University Flag and Program Decorations' were presented and given by the President Prof.Dr. Erol Özvar.
The ceremony was attended by our Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal and the Coordinator of Barrier-Free Unit for disabilities Dr. Instructor Kerim Güney. Within the scope of the Barrier-free University Flag, our university was ranked 10th with a total of 6 awards, receiving 1 Orange Flag in the 'Spatial Accessibility category and 5 Green Flags in the 'Accessibility in Education' category.
At our university, the Central Library received the Orange Flag, which means 'Spatial Accessibility ', and the Green Flag, which means 'Accessibility in Education', from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Kastamonu Vocational School, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture and Tourism.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar drew attention to the difficulties experienced by students with disabilities in accessing the university. Stating that according to Higher Education Information System data, the number of students with different disability levels is around 56 thousand, Prof. Dr. Özvar emphasized that female students with disabilities face more disadvantages compared to male students and that they have problems in accessing the university.
Expressing that approximately 90% of the disabled students prefer the open education program and the main reason for this preference is that they cannot meet their basic needs in face-to-face education programs,and stating that disabled students' access to university and their participation in society are not at the desired level, President Prof.Dr. Erol Özvar said that a barrier-free educational environment should be created in order for disabled individuals to fully benefit from educational opportunities and to support their participation in education. He also emphasized the need to provide academic support and resources for students with disabilities.
Expressing that universities should focus on studies and projects that will facilitate the participation of students with disabilities in social life, President Prof.Dr.Erol Özvar stated that 1091 applications were made to the award ceremony from 97 universities and 56 universities were awarded a total of 295 flags.
This year, for the first time, the Barrier-Free University Flag Award was presented by The President of Council of Higher Education Prof. Dr. Özvar to our Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal. In his statement, our rector emphasized the efforts made to ensure that disabled students take an active and successful part in the education process. Expressing that our university carries out various studies to increase the accessibility of students with disabilities, our Rector stated that improvements were made in the buildings to enable disabled students to move more easily in physical environments. He stated that the course materials are presented in audio and visual formats for accessibility on digital platforms and that they provide support services suitable for the needs of students with disabilities.
Our Rector emphasized that these studies for a barrier-free university are important not only for students but also for our academic and administrative staff. He said that a barrier-free educational environment contributes to all university stakeholders and encourages the development of sensitivity and understanding. Finally, our Rector expressed that they are pleased to be entitled to receive these awards and that they will continue to work at universities without barriers on this occasion and thanked to everyone who contributed.
