​​Barrier-Free Environment

Chelyabinsk State University is a basic high education organization that provides education for disabled and physically impaired students in the Ural Federal District.

For almost 20 years, CSU has been making high education available for invalids and forming the system of inclusive education for disabled students. Integral education for disabled students in CSU was organized on the basis of both Russian experience and the achievements of international cooperation on the projects of the European Commission and international funds. Experts of the European Commission of Education called the implementation of inclusive education for disabled people in CSU outstanding.

In 2004 the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation conferred CSU the status of basic high education organization providing education for disabled and physically impaired students in the Ural Federal District.

CSU created an innovative system of high education for disabled students which is based on preparatory courses, inclusive education, distance technologies and educational accompanying.

The university's class and dormitory buildings provide disabled-friendly architecture for students suffering from musculoskeletal disorders.

CSU's buildings are outfitted with special equipment that its disabled students use in their studies: those are the multimedia computer laboratory, the special education classroom, the multimedia lecture classroom, the leisure education center and the information resource center.

Students suffering from hearing impairment can access the audiology education classroom equipped with wireless communication assistive devices to enhance speech comprehension. This classroom also has an interactive whiteboard and several video output devices.

For the needs of students suffering from visual impairment CSU has created a special classroom equipped with different kinds of assistive technology such as reading machine, TV-screen magnifiers, a Braille embosser and a refreshable Braille display, as well as computers with special assistive software and assistive audio equipment.

Regional Educational and Scientific Center of Inclusive Education is a special department of CSU which is responsible for pre-university preparatory courses and provides assistance during the education period to disabled people.

CSU works on the implementation of inclusive education in collaboration with many different organizations on different levels: with regional and municipal bodies of executive power; social protection services; educational, medicinal and employment organizations; communities of disabled people; public organizations, business corporations, etc.

 "URALSIB for Equal Opportunities" is a charity program, created 7 years ago, aimed at providing financial support to disabled people who want to get higher education. It has been effectively implemented in Chelyabinsk State University. Its primary goals are to provide funds to disabled people to pay for pre-university preparatory courses, remote learning courses conducted by the university faculties, and to provide financial support for students in the form of grants.

Today, 145 disabled students study at the different faculties of CSU, 47 of whom – on full-time studies, 58 – on extramural education, 40 – learning remotely. 21% of disabled students have Disability Class 1, 24% - Disability Class 2, 53% - Disability Class 3. 2% have "disabled child" status. More than 40% of students have derangements of locomotor apparatus, including 13 people who move around using a wheelchair. 15% of students have visual function disorders, 9% - hearing disorders. A significant part of disabled students (more than 32%) have disorders of different organs and systems within the body.

With the support of the Enlightenment Fund Meta and its program "URALSIB — For Equal Opportunities" 16 young disabled people are going to enter CSU to study full-time or extramurally in 2013 in its Regional Education for Disabled Center.

Since 1998, more than 367 disabled students have successfully graduated from CSU, with 31 of them receiving honors diplomas. More than 70% of the disabled CSU graduates have since found job.