Disability Master Plan: Turning an Ideal into Reality
On November 20, the University’s Board of Trustees approved the new Disability Master Plan (SDH) presented by Agnès Fichard-Carroll, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Campus Life and Disability Coordinator at theUM. While 43 of the 45 actions planned in the previous SDH have been implemented and the success of students with disabilities has been included in the 2023–2025 Contract on Objectives, Resources, and Performance (COMP), theUM continues its commitment to greater inclusion of staff and students with disabilities.
Several months of discussions and meetings between Agnès Fichard-Carroll and staff members, students with disabilities, and the administrative departments and services that support them—most notably the Campus Life Office and the Handiversité service—preceded the drafting of this document.“This plan owes a great deal to the strength and inspiration of the individuals we met throughout its development. About thirty staff members with disabilities participated in these meetings, which is a positive sign—the fear of having one’s disability exposed is beginning to fade,” emphasized the vice president.
Since 2020, when the last disability master plan was adopted, the legislative framework promoting greater accessibility has been expanded to include a decree (November 12, 2021) and two circulars (February 6, 2023, and March 27, 2023) regarding accommodations for higher education exams and competitive exams for candidates with disabilities, as well as health services for students and users of higher education.“It is in accordance with these regulations and the guiding principles that govern our actions that we will continue to implement our measures,” announced Agnès Fichard-Carroll. “We know that providing support does not mean taking over, much less imposing our will, and that balancing individual circumstances with collective expectations is complicated, but this new framework will allow us to move forward together.”
Academic Success of Students with Disabilities
The focus of this disability master plan is on the academic success of students with disabilities. Their proportion at theUM increased between 2019 and 2023, rising from 2.41% to 3.44%—compared to a national average of 2.2%—representing 1,641 students.“Thanks to significantly improved support throughout their education, more students with disabilities are gaining access to university programs. At theUM , their percentage has doubled since 2015, which is a source of satisfaction.” 62% of them are enrolled in undergraduate programs, 29% in graduate programs, 5% in postgraduate programs, and 4% in other programs.
To promote their success, the Office forStudents with Disabilities(UM ) offers about ten initiatives designed to better welcome and support them.“The goal here is to provide students with disabilities the same opportunities as other students and to engage the community in supporting them. ” Disability tutoring; international exchange programs; support for hospitalized students; and internship stipends… In terms of accessibility, signage on campus will be improved, and an “Aliv’equip” call for proposals will be launched to enhance the comfort of rest areas reserved for people with disabilities.“We believe this measure is an effective way to demonstrate theUM ’s commitment to both equity and service,”explains the vice president. “We are also considering implementing a cohort study to track the academic trajectories of students with disabilities who have attended theUM.”
To better support teachers—who are the cornerstones of this initiative—the CSIP, in collaboration with Handiversité, will offer workshops on inclusive teaching practices and provide technical guides on how to rephrase instructions, for example, in the context of exams. “Teachers, who are often well-meaning but lack resources, can be thrown off balance by certain situations; therefore, we must continue to raise their awareness by better informing them about the most common disabilities and explaining certain recommendations to them,” continues Agnès Fichard-Carroll.
Career Counseling
“Public employers are required to hire 6% of employees eligible under the employment quota. At theUM, the number of employees eligible under the employment quota (BOE) was 206 in 2019 (4.57%) and 220 in 2023 (4.84%). This percentage rises to 7.41% when considering only Biatss beneficiaries, but stands at only 3.1% among researchers, Professors , and doctoral students. As we often point out, one of the challenges universities face in meeting the mandatory 6% threshold lies in the high percentage of highly qualified individuals at the university (Ph.D., HDR; in total, more than 50% of Category A staff), whereas it is well established that people with disabilities face a training gap. “We are, however, seeing clear progress,” summarizes the vice president. By comparison, in 2020, the direct employment rate for individuals covered by the employment quota was 2.65% at Paris-Cité University, 3.76% at Aix-Marseille University, and 4.26% at Toulouse Paul Sabatier University. In the state civil service, this figure stands at 4.36%.
“We know that there are barriers to recruiting people with disabilities through competitive examinations. Contract-based recruitment is possible for Biatss staff as well as for lecturers. Although this latter approach remains difficult to implement, theUM has been able to recruit lecturers under this framework this year, which we welcome. We believe it is appropriate to continue to take advantage of all available opportunities to promote their recruitment.” All initiatives undertaken to improve career support for BOE staff under the previous plan will be maintained (communication, workshops, specific accommodations, doctoral contracts for individuals with disabilities, etc.).
However, employment for people with disabilities cannot be viewed solely in terms of recruitment, since, according to figures from the Ministry of Education, 85% of people with disabilities acquire their disability at some point in their lives. Career support is therefore essential. UnderArticle 93 of the Civil Service Reform Act, two opportunities for promotion through secondment will be offered for the first time in this hiring campaign.“To achieve the goal of better supporting the careers of staff with disabilities, we must also be able to rely on the network of prevention assistants present at all University campuses. “A specialized training program will be designed specifically for them,” explains Agnès Fichard-Carroll. Support measures such as disability-related telework or reduced teaching loads for faculty and Professors will continue. Efforts will also be made to facilitate workplace assessments by the SCMPPS and the Handiversité service.
Committing to Greater Inclusion
The third and final pillar of this disability master plan concerns accessibility.“Our goal is not only to support students with disabilities during their studies and staff members in their work, but also to enable them to participate in all aspects of university life in an environment that is supportive of their needs,” explains the disability coordinator. As for the facilities, several buildings were made accessible during recent renovations on the Pharmacy and Triolet campuses (Village des Sciences—enter a new era), and Staps (An exemplary renovation project), and the Nîmes Medicine campus (New spaces for the Gard site of the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine).
Furthermore, inclusion must also extend to activities and events in campus life. Invitations now include information about disabilities so that people feel comfortable asking for accommodations. Many workshops and events organized by the Campus Life Office are offered online, which can make it easier for people with disabilities to participate.“We also need to let people know that, thanks to the significant work carried out by the Joint Documentation Service (SCD), we have Platon accreditation authorizing us to produce adapted versions (Braille, international DAISY format, etc.) of all available works.” More broadly, a simple guide to raise awareness about digital accessibility will be developed.
On the social front, the increase in financial assistance for staff recognized as workers with disabilities (RQTH) regarding theater and book vouchers, as well as for participating in cultural or sports activities, is continuing.“We must also take greater account of disability situations when allocating financial aid to students,” emphasizes Agnès Fichard-Carroll. TheUM seeks to extend this comprehensive policy in support of inclusion beyond its own walls by continuing the institution’s procurement policy to promote the employment of people with disabilities. Finally, public lectures—which have generated a great deal of interest—and Braille and sign language workshops, which are already in high demand, will continue to be offered regularly. “This master plan is a fundamental tool for advancing toward equity. The President and I hope it meets the expectations of people with disabilities, and we sincerely thank all our colleagues who have contributed to it and who work every day to promote greater inclusion.”