Through participation and involvement in different activities in the local sections, students with disabilities are given an opportunity to experience the international and intercultural atmosphere associated with the exchange programmes. ESN wants to provide the conditions and opportunities for the disabled students to actively be involved in the work with international students and therefore to benefit from the exchange programmes at their home universities.

The ExchangeAbility project was also initiated due to a recognition of the current situation regarding the mobility of students with disabilities. According to the data from the European Commission, during the academic year 2009/10 230 students with special needs receiving a supplementary grant participated in Erasmus for study. This represents 0.14 % of all Erasmus students. Although an increase compared to the previous years has been observed, the number is still exceptionally low.

Aims of the project

The project has dual aims that can be summarised as:

  • Making ESN a more accessible association for disabled students at all the levels of its activities. This means that ESN wants to provide the conditions and opportunities for the disabled students to actively be involved in the work with international students and therefore to benefit from the exchange programmes at their home universities.
  • Increasing the number of students with disabilities going on exchange. The  long-term vision of the project is to promote the opportunities and support offered for students with disabilities to study abroad.   Also, ExchangeAbility  works with ESN sections, HEIs and organisations that are experts in the field to  create the best conditions possible for disabled students during their stay abroad.