23.09.2025
For the International Day of Sign Languages, RSUH publishes an interview with Associate Professor of the University, leading specialist of the Department for Youth Affairs, Dr. Dzhavadova.
How is the strategy of inclusive education implemented at RSUH?
For students with hearing impairments, the University has a special device called an induction loop. Thanks to this equipment, a person with impaired hearing loss can switch their hearing aid to the T-mode and hear only what the lecturer is saying into the microphone. One can use the special application “My Russian Sign Language,” where interpreters of Russian Sign Language connect and assist them.
What systemic measures, possibly in partnership with other departments or external organizations, are taken at RSUH so that sign language becomes a full part of the educational system?
At our Faculty of Philology, some programs include the discipline “Russian Sign Language.”
What main challenges does the University face in creating a fully accessible environment for students with disabilities?
In recent years, a truly inclusive environment has taken shape at the University. This is the result of coordinated work by the entire team, but to a greater extent by our students, who possess the qualities that form the essence of inclusion: genuine respect, responsibility for one another, and the ability to see opportunities where others see differences. A vivid achievement and confirmation of the effectiveness of our work was a forty-six percent increase in the admission of students with disabilities in 2025 compared to 2024.
How well does the training of the faculty meet the goals of inclusive education?
If we talk about key competencies, these will undoubtedly include flexibility and sensitivity. It is precisely this combination of professionalism and empathy that makes it possible to find an approach to any student.
What role does the student community itself play in building an inclusive environment?
First and foremost, it is the institution of tutoring or mentorship, when students help newcomers with disabilities adapt to the learning process. The work of student clubs and associations is no less important. During joint activities, all possible barriers disappear. And finally, the simplest but most important practice is the daily willingness of classmates to help: to take lecture notes, to show the way, or simply to maintain a conversation. This informal support creates exactly the atmosphere in which everyone feels that they belong.
