Social portrait of people with disabilities in student environment as a factor of social adaptation to the higher education institution conditions

In modern situation special attention should be paid to the increase of competitiveness of disabled people through development of their educational potential. However, their training in higher education institutions quite often faces a number of difficulties. It is promoted by principles of some models of disability widespread in the modern environment. In 2011-2012 the authors of this article carried out a research ''Social adaptation of students with disabilities to the conditions of a higher educational institution by means of formation of a positive social portrait of people with disability''. It is connected with the specifics of adaptation process of disabled people to higher education institution conditions, and also with the formation of their positive social portrait in the student environment. A typical image of a disabled person among students was revealed for this purpose. The research included a complex of methods, most indicative of which in the context of the problem was interviewing of disabled students (N-13), their classmates (N-32) and teachers (N-24). The social portrait of a disabled person revealed the following typical characteristics. By age, disabled people are mostly from 20 to 40; by gender signs - mostly male. Disability associates with visible physical defects and such "traditional" attributes, as a wheelchair, crutches, a stick. Among personal qualities both positive (diligence, responsibility, responsiveness, will power) and negative (uncertainty, complexes, despondency, inability to work, etc.) are noted. The majority of students without disability are in favor of segregation of persons with limited abilities - separate training in the barrier-free environment. Among feelings associated with disabled people there prevails pity; disgust, aspiration for alienation are less observed. Apparently, the reason for such results is that healthy students seldom contact disabled people, because their number in higher education institutions is insignificant, and they aspire to hide the status (it is also fixed in the course of interview). From the results of interviewing of disabled students it follows that as a whole they feel comfortable among the healthy. More often problems arise in the absence of conditions of availability, the weak organization of educational process. Teachers noted that these disabled people are diligent and responsible. Disabled people who hide the status may cause difficulties. One of the subjects forming a social portrait is mass media. According to the content analysis of print media (N-105) they take active part in this process, but it is necessary to give more information about types of disability. The authors of this article offer actions for formation of a positive social portrait of disabled people in the student environment: exhibition of photoworks informing on life of disabled people; meetings with representatives of public organizations of disabled people; watching films about disabled people and their discussion.

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