On the issue, the president of the Cyprus Confederation of Organisations of the Disabled (KYSOA), Themis Anthopoulou, stressed that reasonable adjustments are not a favour or preferential treatment, but an obligation aimed at removing barriers so that the environment is equally accessible. “We are not talking about favours or preferential treatment. We are talking about reasonable adjustments that remove barriers so that the environment is equally accessible. You cannot expect a student with visual impairment to distinguish between a yellow and a blue circle without assistance,” Anthopoulou notes.
What the University of Cyprus says
In a statement issued on Tuesday, June 2, the University of Cyprus rejected claims that reasonable adjustments had not been provided to a student with a visual impairment, stating that throughout her studies and practical training a series of support measures had been granted.
Specifically, it states that funding was approved for the employment of an assistant during the practical training, funding for tutoring support, an extension for the completion of practical training obligations, an extension for assignment submissions, as well as a modification of the teaching schedule.
It notes that, in addition to the above, further support measures tailored to the specific needs of the student had also been provided, which cannot be disclosed due to personal data and sensitive information. It also adds that it is in a position to document, if required, the institutional procedures followed in the case.
At the same time, the University expresses “strong concern” over the public expression of “unfounded allegations” and the reproduction of “misleading information,” arguing that these may undermine confidence in the institutional procedures for providing reasonable adjustments and support to students with disabilities, as well as the work and professional standing of academic staff.
The University of Cyprus states, finally, that it remains committed to ensuring equal opportunities and providing the necessary support to all its students, underlining that reasonable adjustments are provided based on the principles of inclusion, as well as the safeguarding of academic integrity, fair assessment and the credibility of the degrees it awards.
Anthopoulou: “We are not talking about favours or preferential treatment”
On the issue, the president of KYSOA, Themis Anthopoulou, also took a public position, stating that she was informed about the case by the student’s father and expressing concern about how disability issues are being handled in higher education.
As she notes, the student is a top performer and a final‑year student, but risks not receiving her degree due to the grade she received in practical training, arguing that the necessary reasonable adjustments tailored to the needs arising from her visual impairment were not provided.
She stresses that the issue does not concern only this specific case, but the role that universities are called to play in shaping an inclusive society.
“Future employers are among today’s students. Those who will be called to provide reasonable adjustments in order to hire people with disabilities. Among today’s students are also the parents of tomorrow, but also the teachers of tomorrow, who will be required to create school classrooms accessible to every student, based on their individual characteristics and needs,” she states.
At the same time, she underlines that reasonable adjustments do not constitute preferential treatment.
“We are not talking about favours or preferential treatment. We are talking about reasonable adjustments that remove barriers so that the environment is equally accessible. You cannot expect a student with visual impairment to distinguish between a yellow and a blue circle without assistance,” she notes.
The president of KYSOA also states that, twenty years after the ratification by the Republic of Cyprus of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the country remains “miles away from the heart of the concept” of the convention, particularly in the field of education, adding that the objective remains universal accessibility for every individual in every aspect of social life.
What the student had raised
It is recalled that the student, for her part, argued that the core disagreement does not concern the existence of certain accommodations, but whether these responded to the actual demands of her practical training. In a letter sent to the University, she requested a review and reassessment of her practical training courses by an independent committee, pointing out that the necessary reasonable adjustments were not in place and that her assessment was affected by the conditions under which she was required to complete her practical training.
She stated that she has successfully completed all the academic courses of her programme and that only one grade in practical training remains for the awarding of her degree.
At the same time, she requested to be informed in writing why her request for exemption or different treatment in specific courses, such as physical education, music and art, was not approved, raising the issue that in other cases of students with disabilities different practices had been applied.
The student also requested that it be examined whether the treatment she received is consistent with the principles of equality and non‑discrimination, referring to possible victimisation due to disability.
