The purpose of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is to “promote, ensure and protect the full and equal enjoyment by all persons with disabilities of fundamental freedoms and all human rights and to promote respect for their inherent dignity as human beings.” National and international initiatives such as the UN Standard Rules on Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities have also included the human rights of persons with disabilities in this context, resulting in the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2006.

The main purpose of the Law No. 5378 on Persons with Disabilities adopted in Turkey on 01.07.2005 is stated as “To ensure full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in social life on an equal basis with other individuals by encouraging and ensuring the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms and strengthening respect for their inherent dignity and to ensure that necessary arrangements are made to take measures to prevent disability.” The right to education of persons with disabilities is clearly and comprehensively set forth in Article 15 of Law No. 5378. Within the scope of this article, “On no grounds can disabled people be prevented from receiving education. People with disabilities, taking into account their special conditions and differences, benefit from lifelong education opportunities in integrated environments in the environment they live in, on the basis of equality, without discrimination.” With this statement, efforts to improve the quality of education processes of disabled university students are considered important.

When the literature is examined, it is seen that there is limited research on determining the academic, psychological and social needs of disabled university students while continuing their university education. Based on this limitation, the aim of the study is to determine the academic, social and psychological difficulties experienced by disabled individuals studying at university during their education.

Data Analysis

Interview method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used to determine the difficulties experienced by university students with disabilities during their education. The 'Semi-structured Interview Form' developed by the researcher was used to collect qualitative data in the study. The semi-structured interview form consists of 14 open-ended questions. Sample question sentences are as follows; “How were your feelings and thoughts when you started university education? If yes, what were they?”, ”Did your disability affect you in your university life? If so, in what way? Was there any support you received from your university regarding your disability? If yes, how were you supported? Did you want to receive psychological support during the university process? If you wanted to receive psychological support, in which subject(s)? What kind of deficiencies do you think there are at the university regarding disability and disabled life? What would your suggestions be?” Summarizing and interpreting the data obtained through the evaluation forms was carried out through descriptive analysis. In this approach, it was aimed to perform analyses by following four stages: creating a framework for descriptive analysis, processing data according to the thematic framework, defining and interpreting the findings (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2013). In this context, descriptive analysis was conducted in the light of the themes created from the data obtained from each evaluation question.

Findings

The

The purpose of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is to “promote, ensure and protect the full and equal enjoyment by all persons with disabilities of fundamental freedoms and all human rights and to promote respect for their inherent dignity as human beings.” National and international initiatives such as the UN Standard Rules on Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities have also included the human rights of persons with disabilities in this context, resulting in the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2006.

The main purpose of the Law No. 5378 on Persons with Disabilities adopted in Turkey on 01.07.2005 is stated as “To ensure full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in social life on an equal basis with other individuals by encouraging and ensuring the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms and strengthening respect for their inherent dignity and to ensure that necessary arrangements are made to take measures to prevent disability.” The right to education of persons with disabilities is clearly and comprehensively set forth in Article 15 of Law No. 5378. Within the scope of this article, “On no grounds can disabled people be prevented from receiving education. People with disabilities, taking into account their special conditions and differences, benefit from lifelong education opportunities in integrated environments in the environment they live in, on the basis of equality, without discrimination.” With this statement, efforts to improve the quality of education processes of disabled university students are considered important.

When the literature is examined, it is seen that there is limited research on determining the academic, psychological and social needs of disabled university students while continuing their university education. Based on this limitation, the aim of the study is to determine the academic, social and psychological difficulties experienced by disabled individuals studying at university during their education.

Data Analysis

Interview method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used to determine the difficulties experienced by university students with disabilities during their education. The 'Semi-structured Interview Form' developed by the researcher was used to collect qualitative data in the study. The semi-structured interview form consists of 14 open-ended questions. Sample question sentences are as follows; “How were your feelings and thoughts when you started university education? If yes, what were they?”, ”Did your disability affect you in your university life? If so, in what way? Was there any support you received from your university regarding your disability? If yes, how were you supported? Did you want to receive psychological support during the university process? If you wanted to receive psychological support, in which subject(s)? What kind of deficiencies do you think there are at the university regarding disability and disabled life? What would your suggestions be?” Summarizing and interpreting the data obtained through the evaluation forms was carried out through descriptive analysis. In this approach, it was aimed to perform analyses by following four stages: creating a framework for descriptive analysis, processing data according to the thematic framework, defining and interpreting the findings (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2013). In this context, descriptive analysis was conducted in the light of the themes created from the data obtained from each evaluation question.

Findings

The pre-analysis findings of the research are as follows;

Priority among the difficulties experienced; Difficulties in making friends, having a small circle of friends, difficulties in transportation to the campus, inadequate physical conditions of the campus were determined. At the beginning of the themes related to sources of support, support from friends, support from lecturers, and family support were identified. It was stated that the reactions they received from their friends when they evaluated their self-confidence could affect their self-confidence. Academic success was evaluated as an important factor in self-confidence for individuals with disabilities.

The Pre-analysis findings of the research are as follows;

Priority among the difficulties experienced; Difficulties in making friends, having a small circle of friends, difficulties in transportation to the campus, inadequate physical conditions of the campus were determined. At the beginning of the themes related to sources of support, support from friends, support from lecturers, and family support were identified. It was stated that the reactions they received from their friends when they evaluated their self-confidence could affect their self-confidence. Academic success was evaluated as an important factor in self-confidence for individuals with disabilities.