Percepcija studenata o mogućnostima osoba s invaliditetom da udovolje zahtjevima studijskih programa
Student perception of disabled people’s ability to meet the requirements of study programmes

Summary/Abstract: By increasing levels of formal education, especially in the field of higher education, people with disabilities can gain those titles that are in high demand on the open labour market, which could reduce the unemployment rate of people with disabilities. However, there are certain obstacles that students with disabilities must overcome, and one of them is an often negative perception by their social environment, including other students, on their ability to meet the demands of various study programmes offered at Croatian universities. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether the perception of the respondents, students of the University of Zagreb, on the opportunities for students with disabilities to meet the requirements of study programmes, is positive or negative, taking into account variables such as gender, scientific field, past experience with people with disabilities and the education of people with disabilities within faculty or university courses. The data were collected through a short survey questionnaire, designed for the purpose of this study, and the study was conducted in groups. Third year undergraduate students (N=630), from appropriately selected faculties and study programmes, who represent a specific scientific field of all the scientific fields studied at the University of Zagreb, have been involved in this study. A Chi square test has been used as a method of processing data to verify the hypothesis. The results show that, in general, the majority of respondents positively perceive the opportunities of students with disabilities to meet the demands of their study programmes, although this perception significantly differs depending on the type of disability. Significant differences were found concerning the capabilities of disabled students among respondents of different genders, those from different faculties and faculties of different scientific fields. Furthermore, experience of people with disabilities was considered as well as possibilities of learning about them as a part of faculty courses. The conclusion indicates the need for conducting various educational programmes, of informing and fostering student awareness about the capabilities of people with disabilities, particularly in the context of higher education, in order to create a pleasant and stimulating atmosphere for the further academic advancement of students with disabilities.

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