Marina Milić Babić

Social support, the presence of barriers and ideas for the future from students with disabilities in the higher education system in Croatia

This paper examines how students with disabilities in Croatia perceive support, experience barriers and propose ways forward for equality of opportunities in the higher education system. In qualitative interviews, students were satisfied with the informal support they received from family and friends but dissatisfied with the formal support they received from universities and the government. Obstacles to inclusion included: inadequate transport and finance to attend university and minimal adaptation of buildings, toilets, lifts, classrooms and dormitories. Students proposed: investment in adapting buildings, personal assistants, educational grants and transport; coordination within the formal systems from national government to universities and non-governmental organisations; and measures to increase disability awareness for academics, professionals and other students within higher education. The situation for students with disabilities in Croatia is a reminder for those working in countries where policy and practice is relatively advanced that many disability battles are still to be won in newer nations.

Women with disabilities and their lived experiences of physical, psychological and sexual abuse in Croatia

ABSTRACT This research aims to generate a better understanding of the abuse of women with disabilities through a qualitative study with 28 women with disabilities in five towns in Croatia. The results show that more than half of the research participants had experienced physical, psychological and sexual abuse, and financial exploitation. Participants stressed the need for education and empowerment of women with disabilities as well as better training for professionals and ensuring that a formal support system is available in every local community. The role of social workers in emerging countries like Croatia needs to include developing individual, group and community support for women with disabilities and raising public awareness of the abuse and violence shown towards women with disabilities through political and community networks and events.

Neke odrednice zadovoljstva socijalnom podrškom njegovatelja osoba oboljelih od Alzheimerove bolesti

Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi percepciju zadovoljstva socijalnom podrskom njegovatelja clanova obitelji oboljelih od Alzheimerove bolesti te doprinos prediktora u objasnjenju zadovoljstva neformalnom i formalnom podrskom. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 56 neformalnih njegovatelja clanova obitelji oboljelih od Alzheimerove bolesti na podrucju Hrvatske, od toga je 34% osoba muskog spola te 66% ženskog spola. Raspon dobi sudionika istraživanja kretao se od 26 do 88 godina (M=59,71). Rezultati regresijske analize pokazali su da su njegovatelji koji koriste aktivne strategije suocavanja te oni koji rjeđe koriste pasivno izbjegavajucu procjenu situacije zadovoljniji socijalnom podrskom koju dobivaju od neformalnih pružatelja podrske (obitelji, prijatelja, kolega na poslu, susjeda). Kada govorimo o zadovoljstvu njegovatelja osoba oboljelih od Alzheimerove bolesti formalnom socijalnom podrskom, rezultat pokazuje da su sudionici muskog spola koji izražavaju niži stupanj sagorijevanja i intenzivnije koriste aktivne strategije suocavanja zadovoljniji socijalnom podrskom koju dobivaju od formalnih pružatelja podrske. Zakljucno, potrebna su sustavna istraživanja o njegovateljima, njihovim dnevnim aktivnostima u skrbi, oblicima podrske koju trebaju, financijskim teskocama i nacinu usklađivanja njegovateljske uloge s drugim obvezama. Nadalje, važno je senzibilizirati strucnjake te staviti snažan naglasak na profesionalnu odgovornost svakog zdravstvenog i socijalnog djelatnika u procesu osiguravanja pravovremene i potpune informacije koja ce olaksati njegovatelju mogucnost koordiniranja zahtjeva svakodnevne skrbi za oboljelu osobu.