Inclusive education at KBSU: equal opportunities for everyone

50 applicants with disabilities and special needs have been admitted to the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov. In total, 1,597 people applied for a special quota in 2025, according to which 20% of budget places are provided in Russian universities. Half are allocated to people with disabilities, orphans and other socially vulnerable groups.

We tell you what awaits future students and how inclusion helps them get higher education.

Inclusive education at the university has been developing for more than seven years, an accessible environment has been organized, a specialized laboratory has been opened, support methods for students with special needs have been developed, but most importantly, there are hundreds of successful stories of socialization and realization of the potential of people with disabilities and special needs.

Over 500 students with disabilities study at KBSU. Most of them have somatic diseases, 12 students suffer from persistent health problems and have special psychophysical features.

The educational process for children with musculoskeletal disorders, cerebral palsy and people with visual and hearing disabilities requires targeted attention,” notes Lyudmila Nastueva, head of the inclusive education department of the educational policy department of KBSU. “The student body is diverse, each one needs an individual approach, even for children with the same nosology. Their medical, educational and personal backgrounds leave their mark on the choice of pedagogical and psychological methods, social support.

The inclusive education department at KBSU has been operating since 2018. Specialists provide psychological and organizational assistance to people with disabilities and people with disabilities: from submitting an application to the admissions committee and support to educational and methodological consulting. There is a psychological service, and the main building has an auditorium with assistive technology. These are Braille printers, sound assistants and furniture adapted for students with disabilities.

Our university holds an annual psychological-pedagogical and medical-social council. We discuss the educational needs of applicants and build an educational route,” says Lyudmila Nastueva. “Some students are so socialized and independent that their educational trajectory requires minimal intervention, that is, they follow the general program. The rest are supported by our teachers and specialists so that students with special needs do not fall out of the educational process.

An example of successful inclusion is Olga Vilkovskaya, a 3rd-year student majoring in Philology. Congenital glaucoma led to a sharp deterioration in vision at the age of 15. After finishing school in Prokhladny and a specialized institution in Kislovodsk, where she learned Braille, Olga chose KBSU:

I was assured that KBSU had implemented inclusive education, and I chose the history major in order to work as a school teacher later. However, after 3 years of successful study, I realized that I wanted to develop in another field, so I took my documents and entered Russian philology, and in my free time I study French. My dream job is to become a university teacher and work with students in the classroom.

Enrollment became a new stage in her life – Olga began to live independently for the first time. Volunteers and employees of the inclusive education department helped her learn the way from the dormitory to the academic building. They also accompany the girl during tests and exams: they read out questions, mark the answers chosen by the student, scan books through a program for blind and visually impaired users, and help with shopping.

Olga is an excellent student and receives an increased social stipend of up to 16 thousand. Vilkovskaya devotes all her free time to studying and creativity. Last year, Olga’s first collection of poems, «I Can’t Not Write Poetry,» was published. The title fully reflects the author’s method:

I have been writing everywhere and always since I was 12. It does not depend on time, place or situation. I mainly record poems on a dictaphone, then type them on a computer. I started translating my poems and writing in French. The only thought I would like to convey to people is: don’t give up and remember that you can find bright sides in any life situation.

The educational process is one of the key factors in the socialization of people with disabilities. According to Lyudmila Nastueva, advanced training courses are regularly held for teachers and specialists, where the legislative framework and best practices of inclusion are studied. The specialized department is included in most areas of the university’s activities, since the accessibility of the environment affects all groups of the population:

Inclusive education has a positive effect both for children with special educational needs and for typical students, as well as for teachers and staff of the university. Finally, it becomes commonplace that there are different people in the world, but despite their peculiarities, they should also be included in all spheres of life. At KBSU, we give them the opportunity to show themselves, to receive an education on an equal basis with everyone else, to develop professionally, to work and to build their own life independently.

Seeing a person, not a diagnosis, is a key principle of inclusion. People with disabilities study on an equal basis with others, organize their daily life, engage in extracurricular activities, find employment and achieve success.