Introduction
The Accessibility Support Voluntary Service (ASVS) aims to coordinate the systematic, discrete and safe support of students with disabilities (SwD) of the NKUA in matters related to their studies by properly trained volunteer-students.
The ASVS coordinates a network of solidary students wishing to accompany their fellow students on a voluntary basis within the framework of a formal collaboration based on the peer-to-peer model.
Volunteers support SwD in multiple ways, thus contributing to the improvement of SwD’s access to the academic functioning and to the university premises as well as of their socialization.
The type of support is decided in accordance with the SwD’s activity limitations and participation restrictions related to the academic functioning.
Some Tasks
For example, volunteers can undertake one or more of the following tasks:
Welcoming first-year students
- Familiarization of SwD with the university premises and in particular the lecture rooms, halls and laboratories.
- Advising first-year students on matters regarding academic life.
Accompanying SwD in their route to NKUA premises
- Seminar rooms, laboratories, lecture halls,
- Canteen,
- Restaurant,
- Secretariat,
- Library,
- Faculty members’ offices,
- Public transportation stations around the university premises.
Enhancing the participation of SwD in lectures, laboratory or clinical work
- Taking notes.
- Support in handling objects.
- Relaying visual or audio information presented during lectures.
Converting educational material in digital accessible form
- Notes taken by fellow students.
- Notes and presentations by faculty members.
- Textbooks.
Support during studying
- Study groups.
- Guidance by senior students.
- Developing study plan.
Offering workshops for SwD’s skills development
- Using software applications.
Keeping the SwD up-to-date in case of his/her absence
- Informing the SwD about what happened during the skipped session.
- Relaying announcements.
Collecting the textbooks delivered through the EUDOXUS system from the distribution points
Collaborations
Collaborations between volunteers and SwD can be either through personal contact or remotely.
Τhe SwD may know personally the volunteers supporting him/her or get anonymous support. In that case volunteers offer support to SwD without knowing each other or having any personal contact.
A SwD’s support through personal contact can be undertaken by one volunteer or by a group of volunteers.
The collaboration with a SwD can have the following forms:
- Systematic collaboration, from the beginning till the end of each semester.
- Particular collaboration, when there is a particular demand.
- Collaboration during the exam period.