When a student feels they truly belong, learning becomes more than lectures and exams; it becomes an opportunity to grow, contribute and thrive. At the University of Donja Gorica (UDG) in Montenegro, this idea is shaping how students with disabilities experience higher education, turning inclusion from a principle into everyday practice.

For Prof. Dr. Maja Drakić-Grgur, inclusive education is not an abstract concept but a defining feature of a modern university. “University is not only a place where knowledge is transferred, but also a community where values of openness, mutual respect and equal opportunities are developed,” she explains.

Through flexible teaching methods, individual mentoring and constant communication between professors and students, UDG has been working to ensure that academic life adapts to students, not the other way around. This approach is helping more young people with disabilities see higher education as a realistic and welcoming path.

“We are particularly pleased that an increasing number of young people with disabilities recognise UDG as a place where they can study on an equal footing with other students,” says Drakić-Grgur. Today, around 30 students with disabilities study at the university, including those with mobility difficulties, hearing or visual impairments, speech difficulties or dyslexia. Many choose practice-oriented fields such as graphic design, information systems and technologies, polytechnics and food technology.

Beyond access, the university focuses on support. Students with disabilities are exempt from tuition fees and receive additional academic and mentoring assistance. According to the professor, such measures help create a community where differences are recognized as a value rather than an obstacle.

In practice, she says, inclusion starts with understanding students’ different life circumstances. “In practice, inclusive education primarily means the willingness of the university to understand different life circumstances and needs of students and to enable their equal participation in academic life.”

This often means adapting teaching dynamics, offering additional consultations, proposing different learning strategies and allowing students to demonstrate knowledge in ways that match their abilities. But the benefits extend far beyond accessibility.

“When students learn in an environment that encourages mutual understanding and support, not only academic competences develop, but also important social values – responsibility, empathy and readiness for co-operation,” she notes.

Still, challenges remain. Drakić-Grgur emphasises that inclusion is not only about infrastructure or regulations but also about attitudes and everyday practices. “Sometimes the biggest barriers are those that are not immediately visible- the way we communicate in teaching, the expectations we place before students, or insufficient understanding of the different experiences students come from.”

A recent workshop at UDG on adapting learning and participation for students with special educational needs, organised within the joint Council of Europe and European Union programme "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye" and its action Quality education for all – Montenegro, provided an opportunity for universities to exchange practical experiences. For Drakić-Grgur, its greatest value was the honest dialogue it created.

“It was particularly valuable that the workshop was conceived as an open space for exchange of experiences, and not only as a series of formal presentations,” she says, adding that discussions encouraged participants “to think about inclusion through the prism of their own experience.”

Such exchanges, she believes, often provide more practical value than theory alone because they help identify both real challenges and solutions that already work.

Looking ahead, Drakić-Grgur believes inclusion must remain a lived commitment. “The most important thing is that inclusion does not remain only a declarative principle, but that it becomes part of everyday academic practice.”

At UDG, this includes extended exam time, alternative forms of assessment, teaching assistance and partnerships with organisations such as the Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro. Through international projects, the university has also worked to improve accessible infrastructure, technical resources and flexible learning models.

Based on this experience, the professor is convinced that inclusion benefits everyone. “Inclusive education is not only a matter of social sensitivity, but also a matter of the quality of higher education. A university that is open to diversity becomes more creative, more innovative and closer to the real needs of society.”