Current legal regulations emphasize

Current legal regulations emphasize the right to education and that it is indispensible. Regulations regarding
compulsory education as well as lifelong learning are very important for education at every level. Within this scope
it is of great importance that there are good regulations regarding academic and social needs of students with
disabilities. As required by the Disabled law 5378 prepared by Higher Education Council, in order to take necessary
precautions and prepare regulations to ease education life of students with disabilities Higher Education Institutions
The Disabled Advising and Coordination Regulation was published in Official Gazette number 26204 on 20 June
2006. The regulation is important since it stipulates equality of opportunity, however, due to some implementation
issues regarding students, academic and administrative staff with disabilities, the scope of the regulation was
broadened. The new regulation published in 2010 there were wide range amendments to about the duties and
responsibilities of The Disabled Student Units. Furthermore, during the workshops regarding the needs of the
disabled students at universities which establish the basis of the regulations for disabled university students, it was
often mentioned that since The Disabled Student Units are under the Health, Culture and Sports Offices and also due
to lack of independent budget allocated to these units there were problems in terms of providing necessary support
to students with disabilities. The need for more independent unit and better implementation arouse and thus the
updated regulation was published in the Official Gazette number 28913 on 14 February 2014 and it was mainly
about the duties and responsibilities of the units whose main aim is to ease education life of students with disabilities
at higher education institutions and make sure that they can fully participate in education processes ( Prime Ministry
Information System of Regulations, 2014). With a Deputy Rector as the head of the unit, the Disabled Student Unit
is responsible for identifying education, scholarship, administrative, accommodation social and other needs of the
students with disabilities, offer solutions and take necessary precautions.
In order to evaluate the practices of the disabled students unit, it is important the know students’ opinion about
the quality of services provided to them in higher education institutions. The data obtained from this research may
be beneficial in terms of identifying students’ problems and generating solutions and also helping them enrol
education and work life.
students at compulsory education age but also to those attending higher education institutions and the graduates as
well. Therefore lifelong learning based on principles such equality, participation and social integration as well as
improving higher education standards and education for all were identified as basic principles (EC, 2011). During
higher education, which is seen as the basis for future professional and social life, it is important for those with
disabilities to have regulations based on access to education and equality of opportunity. Regarding the right to
education article 26 of the universal declaration of human rights states that everybody has the right to education.
Primary school education is free and compulsory. Technical and vocational education is open for everyone. Higher
education should be accessible for everyone based on their talents. Despite those clear statements, although it is
stipulated by laws that individuals with disabilities have the right to education and be supported in terms of teaching
and learning within the same environment with their peers in every level, practices vary based on countries’
education policies (EC, 2011).