• To analyse, within the network’s overall theoretical perspective how disabled students are given equitable access to lifelong learning in HE
• To explore new ways of supporting print disabled students which can be applied in different European contexts
• To publish a scientific monograph on new perspectives for integrating visually impaired students into HE society
• To provide a comprehensive policy report on strategies for supporting print disabled students in HE

(This is a development of existing Leonardo project and collaboration between UK, EL and A)

• Month 6: establish disability research steering committee of HERN partners and mailbase collaboration.
• Month 7-8: conduct literature review and desk research in each collaborator’s country on government and HE policies for disabled students.
• Month 9: agree research design according to methods outlined in the proposal - using questionnaire, focus groups and interview strategies - via electronic conference.
• Month 10: implement questionnaires, focus groups and interviews in selected HEIs.
• Month 14-15: analyse data and compare results across each collaborator country.
• Month 15: hold disability steering committee at HERN seminar.
• Month 16-18: prepare interim policy reports for EC and associated networks.
• Month 19-22: prepare final reports, including a training manual, and deliver conference papers to relevant conferences.
• Month 24: establish an HE network strand to WCN Europe network.
• Month 27: deliver a paper at HERN seminar.

• audit of policies for disabled students in HE and formation of HERN disability steering committee
• seminar paper on ways of supporting visually impaired students in HE society
• brief ‘guide to policy’ report on strategies for supporting print disabled students in HE
• conference papers on disability perspectives for society, teaching, learning and employment
• training manual on applicability of print disabled student support in different HE contexts in Europe
• scientific publication on new perspectives for social integration of visually impaired students in HE society
• establishment of relevant HE strand to WCN Europe network

The workpackage will provide:

• policy makers, professionals and academics with details and comparable data about current contexts and developments for supporting visually impaired students in HE
• a framework for HE providers to consider more comprehensive integration of visually impaired and print disabled students into university life
• a research based publication targeted at the academic community as an end user group and a practice based publication targeted at the practitioner community as an end user group