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216 - Students Advisory Office, Association of Youth with Disabilities of
Montenegro, Montenegro
CONTACT
Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro
Ms. Marina Vujacic
Montenegro
+382 20265650
OVERALL GOAL /MISSION
From the beginning and estabilishment AYDM worked on solving problems of students with disabilities and creating
preconditions for their higher education. Since AYDM expanded scope of activities and service users, the need has arise
to establish special Office which will primarily be focused on students with disabilities. In that sense, during
implementation of the project "Support and inclusion of students with disabilities at HE institutions in Montenegro" in
March 2013 AYDM has established Students Advisory Office (SAO) first of that kind in Montenegro and the only
formalized way of providing support services to students with disabilities in Montenegro. Idea of establishment of
AYDM came out in 2001 as a response to problems and barriers (inaccessible faculties and dormitories, inaccessible
literature, transport, etc..) faced by students with disabilities (at that moment there were only 3 students with
disabilities in entire Montenegro). Overall goal of this office is to ensure and to improve conditions for higher education
and to encourage young people with disabilities to aquire higher education.
THE SOLUTION THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED
Most of the educational institutions at all levels of the education are not accessible for children and students with
disabilities. Also, teaching processes, programs and materials are not accessible for this population. Children and
students with disabilities have no systematically organized and supported services (assistants in teaching, sign language
interpreters etc.), and they are mostly provided on a project basis by NGO’s. Due these problems significant number of
children with disabilities does not continue their education after elementary schools and especially after high schools.
Because of all these barriers students with disabilities in Montenegro do not have equal access to higher education
independent living, mobility and active citizenship.
Program for education, in scope of which exist ''Students service'' is regular activity implemented from 2001 through
AYDM that is helping students with disabilities with enrolment to the faculty, obtaining dormitory, providing different
information regarding studies, providing accessible transport, personal assistance, psychological counseling, exemption
from payment of tuition, etc. Students Advisory Office was established to contribute to creation of equal conditions for