Abstract:

The article under consideration is devoted to the question of revealing the optimal way of solving the problem of physical barriers for learners with limited mobility in educational institutions in Russia. Not long ago the Russian Federation joined the United Nations Convention on the rights of the handicapped. According to this document, member states have to organize education on all levels according to the principle of an inclusive approach. The article touches upon the problem of inclusion which is a new philosophy of education for the Russian educational system. The idea of involving any person in the educational process in the environment without any barriers is the basis of this philosophy. According to this fact, the necessity of adaptation of educational institutions to the needs of the students with limited mobility is very important. The revision of the educational process is also to be discussed.
The main idea of the article is to show the importance of applying the inclusive educational process in order to improve the adaptive potential of learners with limited mobility. The authors analyze the effectiveness of the federal program “Accessible Environment” which started in 2011. It is aimed at the creation of legal, economic and institutional conditions that help the handicapped to integrate into the social life and improve their level of life. The fact that only twenty percent of educational institutions provide an accessible environment is touched upon in this article. Such a situation takes place due to the lack of a unique approach to solving the existing problem, difficulty to reorganize the work of educational institutions, and little financing.
Taking into consideration the situation, the authors examine adaptation as a social phenomenon using humanistic, structural-functional, behaviouristic, and homeostatic approaches. This examination made it possible to develop a plan for future research. The study, which was carried out in 2016-2018 with the help of an on-line, expert, and mass surveys, confirmed the necessity of partnership of the specialists from architectural, social, and educational spheres. In this article, the authors also define the measures to be taken to resolve the problem of reorganizing the infrastructure and architectural space according to the principle of inclusive environment.
The results of this study will help to enlarge educational possibilities for learners with limited mobility and create a comfortable educational environment for all learners. The handicapped will be able to use the stairs, bathrooms, and entrances freely. The authors believe that the application of the social partnership system among the specialists from architectural, social, and educational spheres will allow the handicapped to overcome environmental and communication barriers, get involved in different activities, and improve their adaptive potential.

Keywords:

Inclusive approach, philosophy of education, educational process, inclusive educational environment, learners with limited mobility, the adaptive potential.