Supporting statement

Access to University Dorms

Students, who have various types of disability like mobility, vision, and hearing, get free accommodation in the university dorms, and they are provided with services that guarantee a normal university life similar to the rest of their colleagues without any distinction. They also have the priority in choosing the rooms they prefer in the dorms.

Special Parking

There are special parking places for people with disabilities at all colleges and university facilities.

Special Examinations Hall

A hall equipped to perform examinations for special cases of people with any disability in coordination with course Instructors.

A Special Computer lab with Screen Reader Software and Speakers

Special Support Services for People with Disabilities

Safety and Risk Management Culture Promotion for the Hearing-Impaired Initiative:

In collaboration with the occupational safety and health administration as well as the emergency and disaster center this initiative was launched to prepare and habilitate a generation of hearing-impaired individuals with the abilities to overcome disasters and avoid dangerous situations by raising their awareness through promoting safety culture and educating them about correct disaster responses and safety measures. This initiative aims to shed more light on this important group in our community and some of the initiative’s contributions include the translation of over 40 brochures related to safety and disaster management to sign language, educational lectures, educational public events, and competitions for raising the public’s awareness in dealing with the hearing-impaired. Finally, this initiative ultimately desires to accomplish unity among all parts of the community and its many efforts dedicated towards the hearing-impaired have contributed greatly to achieving that.

Emergency Evacuation Plan for People with Disabilities

In collaboration with King Saud University, a training program for general emergency evacuation plans for people with disabilities was launched. This program includes workshops for the university’s members educating them on how to properly evacuate people with disabilities in case of emergencies in an efficient manner and teaches those with disabilities on the proper evacuation methods and prepares them to handle such emergency situations.

MENTORING PROGRAMMES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

KAU, is one of the top universities in the kingdom that continuously strive to run mentoring programs for people with disabilities. A Mentoring Program at the Beginning of each Semester. KAU published the academic advising student handbook, which is a procedural manual for academic advising policies, in 2013 with yearly updates (if needed) and reviews. This manual contains the policy of the advice programs to help new students with special needs. It is a guiding program that deals with all issues and problems of new university students with special needs. These issues are related to students’ adaptation to different university environments and their capabilities development to communicate and deal with the different groups of university employees and other students in order to secure a "life with minimum issues & disturbances" and full of human security. The paths of the counseling program for people with special needs are listed below: The mentoring program is offered once at the beginning of each semester to introduce new students with special needs to the available facilities and services to raise their awareness about their university rights and introduce them to the different environments from which they can benefit and practice their activities similar to their normal peers. The mentoring program provides advisory services on an ongoing basis for this category, and supervises the implementation of all the requirements they need. Each semester, a course is offered on the culture of dealing with people with special needs, targeting faculty members and all university employees. A copy of the academic guides printed in Braille will be provided for blind students. Colleges’ guidance stickers are explained, indicating the location of the pathways for students with motor disabilities and their dedicated pathways at the various entrances and buildings of university colleges.