Van Hees, Valérie and Montagnese, Dominique. (2020). Making mobility programmes more inclusive for students with disabilities Inclusive Mobility - Research Report. Support Centre Inclusive Higher Education (SIHO). 

On the 9th of November the EPFIME research report was launched by the Support Centre Inclusive Higher Education (SIHO) and the Flemish Ministry for Education and Training. 

The EPFIME project is a 2-year project co-funded by Erasmus+ KA3 Support to Policy reform "Support to the implementation of EHEA reforms - 2018-2020". 

The EPFIME consortium report examines in-depth the needs and expectations on inclusive mobility of national authorities, students with disabilities and higher education institutions across Europe, while focusing on how national authorities and higher education institutions can collaborate more strongly to ensure the quality and the transferability of support services for both incoming and outgoing students with disabilities in exchange programmes. 

The definition for ‘Inclusive Mobility’ followed in the research refers to creating adequate conditions to learn, work, or volunteer abroad for people with free opportunities, by addressing their diverse support needs. An individual needs-based approach is key to answer to the needs of the students. 

The new research report and recommendation and good practice booklet are based on online surveys , focus groups and desk research, compiling feedback of 1,134 responses from students with disabilities, 114 higher education institutions and 23 ministries of Education across the European Higher Education Area. 

Some of the key results of the report were shared during the launch event webinar on 9 November: 

• Despite their low numbers in participation, a high number of students with disabilities want to go abroad; the main motivators are similar to other students. 
• Inclusion is not sufficiently present in mobility strategies in order for targets to be set and data to be collected to monitor participation. 
• Insufficient institutions provide information in an accessible way to students with disabilities. 
• In 62% of the countries, national grants and support services for students with disabilities are transportable abroad during an exchange programme. 
• 32% of students with disabilities did only disclose their disability to the home institution when going abroad. The reasons for not disclosing a disability vary;, 39% of respondents indicated they were not asked, 34% did not think it was important, while 25% did not want to be labeled. 
• Satisfaction with offered student housing is positive, but students point out the lack of available information regarding the accessibility of transport, housing, campus and support with everyday life necessities. 
• There is still a lack of awareness and cooperation between disability officers, international officers and support structures at large. 

Read more here.