Dealing with Changes in Supporting Students with Disabilities in Higher Education

Following a study on the "Social situtation of People with Disabilities in Austria" carried out by the Austrian goverment (Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection) within the framework of the annual "European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions" (EUSILC) 1 survey, 18 % of all Austrian citizens without a formal recognized disability finished their education after compulsory education (9 years of school). Within the group of people with disabilities a significantly higher amount of persons (46%) finished their educational path after compulsory school. The "Matura", the formal certificate that entitles people in Austria to enter Higher Education (e.g. university or university or applied science)is reached by 30% of all Austrian without a formally stated disability and by 11% out of the group of people with disabilities. As Information on disability is subject to special data security regulations, this information is not asked when people enrol for Higher Education. There are of course numbers given by disability support structures (installed at most Austrian Higher Education institutions)but it is up to the individual with a disability or chronic illness to get in touch with these structures and "re-appear on the screen". Therefore, thereare no formal surveyed numbera on people with disabilities on people with disabilities studying and/or finished their studies and reaching a career different from "traditional" jobs but numbers given by disability support services throughtout Austra that are, again, far smaller than the number within the group of people without a disability. Out of own experiences, this group is further diminished during their time in Higher Education until sucessfully entering the first labour market at a position correspondingto personal abilities, knowledge, skills and competences.