Sakarya University reinforces its institutional commitment to equal access, inclusivity, and full participation for students with disabilities by integrating physical accessibility improvements, dedicated coordination structures, inclusive housing arrangements, adaptive technologies, and a strong culture of support across its campus. These efforts reflect a system-level approach aligned with Reduced Inequalities, ensuring that students with disabilities can engage in academic, social, and cultural life on an equal basis.
The university provides physical accessibility for hearing-impaired individuals through induction loop systems in the Medico Health Center and the Cultural & Congress Center. In addition, 120 hours of Turkish Sign Language training was delivered to healthcare staff to ensure accessible communication in clinical services. Children requiring special care are prioritized for outpatient or general anesthesia treatment in the Pediatric Dentistry Department.
Campus Accessibility: Through the Green Campus sustainability programme, the university implemented extensive campus-wide accessibility measures, including wheelchair-accessible pathways, ramps between buildings, elevators, tactile guiding surfaces, reserved parking, induction-loop systems, audio guidance features for visually impaired individuals, and accessible restrooms with voice-support systems. These upgrades—documented in the 2024 Completed Works Report—demonstrate intentional, ongoing investment in inclusive campus infrastructure.
Central Coordination & Support Services: The Barrier-Free Life and Support Coordinatorship (Engelsiz SAU) continued to serve as the central coordinating unit ensuring students with disabilities receive academic accommodations, psycho-social counselling, individualized guidance, scholarship and employment support, and peer mentoring. The unit actively organized training, inclusion awareness workshops, and the Accessible Life Representatives Meeting (24 October 2024) to ensure that every faculty and school maintains accessibility coordination at the unit level, sustaining a continuous improvement model across the institution.
Dormitory & Housing Accessibility: The Esentepe campus student dormitories include specially adapted rooms designed for disability accessibility, featuring adjusted layouts, accessible bathrooms, and supportive mobility arrangements. These residential accommodations ensure equal access to safe and autonomous living environments, reinforcing the university’s belief that accessibility must extend beyond classrooms into daily student life.
Adaptive Technologies & Inclusive Learning Environments: The university provides screen readers, book-reading devices, magnification tools, embossing printers, and assistive communication technologies, enabling independent academic engagement. Classrooms and auditoriums equipped with hearing loop systems and audio-assistive devices further ensure that learners with hearing and visual disabilities can engage fully in instructional environments. Faculties maintain unit-level accessibility representatives to support inclusive pedagogical planning and academic barrier removal.
Institutional Recognition: On 06 June 2024, Sakarya University was awarded the YÖK “Accessible University” Flag and Badge, a national distinction recognizing the institution’s leadership in accessible campus design and inclusive education systems.
Inclusive Orientation & Academic Participation: During the 2024 YKS intake, personalized orientation was provided to newly admitted students with disabilities to ensure early access to campus navigation, advisory services, and learning support. In addition, the Accessible Summer School (12 August 2024) ensured that students requiring academic accommodations could participate seamlessly in intensive academic periods, reinforcing continuity of learning.
Accessibility & Safe Campus Culture: The Violence Prevention Strategies Workshop (29 November 2024) highlighted the intersection of accessibility, gender equality, and campus safety, ensuring that students with disabilities are included in broader wellbeing and rights-protection frameworks.
Through coordinated governance, sustained infrastructure investment, disability-inclusive academic services, adapted housing, unit-level accessibility representation, and nation-recognized accessibility leadership, Sakarya University demonstrated in 2024 that accessibility is not treated as an accommodation, but as a core institutional value. These combined actions ensure that all students—regardless of disability status—can participate fully, equitably, and with dignity in the academic and social life of the university.
