ECIO
ECIO supports as national expert centre on inclusive education universities, colleges and VET institutes in order to help make education accessible to students with disabilities and special needs, and to contribute to the well-being of students who experience obstacles due to, for example, learning disabilities, physical or sensory impairments, mental vulnerability or chronic illness. Inclusive internationalisation is one of the topics ECIO focuses on.
Inclusive transition to the labour market is also one of our key themes and closing the gap between education and the labour market for students with disabilities or special needs. We do this by closely working with all the involved parties including the educational institutes, the government and/or municipalities, employers and also with the students who have support needs. By facilitating a network with all these parties, ECIO guides and advises each party on its responsibility and role to create an inclusive transition for students with disabilities or special needs. This network is one of the ways that ECIO creates a bridge between education and work. Besides this network we also close the gap by working with students with disabilities or special needs with the goal of preparing them for the labour market and developing the necessary skills.
Motivation
ECIO is member of the national working group Inclusive Internationalisation, chaired by Nuffic. Other members in the working group are student organisations and umbrella organisations of TVET and higher education institutions. Together we aim to make it more accessible for all students to participate in international activities. Nuffic and ECIO developed an awareness game on inclusive internationalisation for professionals. With this game, educational professionals learn about the obstacles students, such as students with disabilities, can face in relation to gaining international experiences. Furthermore, ECIO works together in the LINK network with other European expert centers of inclusive education. The goal of the network is to share knowledge and current developments on inclusive education and collaboratively ask attention for students with disabilities in Europe.
