Digital Barrier-Free and Psychosocial Support for Students with Disabilities in Distance Learning Environments

The article clarifies the conditions for information, digital and educational accessibility for higher education seekers with disabilities in terms of distance learning caused by quarantine restrictions. It is established that such conditions are regulated by international and Ukrainian legal documents (The Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Sustainable Development Goals, Law of Ukraine "On Education", Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education", Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in Ukraine 2021-2031, Development Strategy areas of innovation for the period up to 2030, Development strategy of the sphere of innovation activity for the period up to 2030). As a part of information barrierlessness, Higher Education Institutions (HEI) should provide access to information in various formats and using technologies, in particular Braille script, large-type printing, audio description (audio descriptive commenting), sign language interpretation, subtitling, a format suitable for reading by screen access programs, formats of simple speech, easy-to-read formats, means of alternative communication. The experience of Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University is described. In particular, special attention is paid to the study of sign language: in view of this, the initiative group implemented the project "Learning to hear and overcome social isolation together" with the financial support of the British Council in Ukraine. Within the framework of digital accessibility, the official website of the Faculty of Social and Psychological Education has been adapted for the visually impaired in accordance with WCAG 2.0 World Standards. In 2021, Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University implemented the project "Cultural, Recreational and Tourist Cherkasy Region: Inclusive Social 3D Map" funded by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation; a site with available content for online travel in the region to provide barrier-free access to the historical and cultural heritage of Cherkasy region was created. Educational accessibility is achieved by increasing the number of people with special educational needs, receiving education in inclusive groups; activities of the Center for Social and Educational Integration and Inclusive Rehabilitation Social Tourism "Bez barieriv" ("Without barriers"); implementation of a research topic for financing the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: "Social and psychological rehabilitation of children and youth with special educational needs by means of inclusive tourism"; implementation of the project "Social inclusion of distance educational process"; development of information campaigns to popularize the ideas of accessibility, the need for its implementation, ongoing training programs and competitions, etc.