Ural Federal University Observes World Day for Persons with Disabilities
The Center for Inclusive Education, the Department for Academic Development, and the Multifunctional Resource Center for Educational Activities of the Ural Federal University held the UFU Inclusion Days on December 2-3. The event was timed to the World Day for Persons with Disabilities.
UrFU Inclusion Days event is aimed at increasing the level of inclusive culture and acquiring practical skills of inclusive interaction. The participants were invited to the Extrability business game, Managerial Duels based on Vladimir Tarasov’s technology, and thematic master classes “Neurodevelopment Practices”, “Walking in the Dark” and “Features of Interaction with People with Mobility Disabilities”.
Participants showed their skills in solving specified conflict management situations by acting in different roles in the “Managerial Match,” learned ways and practices to develop mental flexibility and performed neuropsychological exercises. In turn, students without disabilities were able to take a blind walk and ride in a wheelchair under the guidance of the trainers.
“I attended workshops on neurodevelopmental practices, interaction with blind people and people with locomotor disabilities. At the workshops the participants practiced brain exercises and showed their creative abilities, they experienced the importance of unobtrusive participation and proper help in the smallest everyday issues. Thanks to the organizers and participants for the opportunity and the special friendly atmosphere at the meetings,” says Anna Astanina, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Foreign Languages and Educational Technologies at the Ural Institute of Humanities of the Ural Federal University.
The Extrability business game brought together more than 60 participants. Students with and without disabilities, international students, UrFU lecturers, and master class experts worked for four hours in the form of a practical reflective workshop in four inclusive teams to create a collage that had to reflect the inclusive challenge.
“Participating in this event, I gained a lot. This event made me realize that both in scientific research and in life, we can all express what we want to express in any way we want, for example, by creating a collage. In addition, I felt the power of teamwork: we are all fire together, and each of us is a star in the sky,” shared Xiao Shoting, UrFU Master’s student from China.
The game hosts, Alyona Nevolina, Head of the Department for Academic Development, and Konstantin Barannikov, gave instructions to all teams via real-time video conferencing. Due to the fact that all participants could see not only the presenters, but also how the other teams were working on the task, the business game provided an atmosphere of inclusion and unity.