Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKU) has achieved a significant success by ranking among the top 7 universities receiving the most badges in the Barrier-Free University Programme Badge, within the scope of the “2025 Barrier-Free University Flag and Programme Badge Awards” organised by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).
In a process in which 1,768 applications from 112 universities were evaluated this year, HKU earned 5 Barrier-Free University Programme Badges. At the ceremony held at the Council of Higher Education, the award was presented to Acting Rector of Hasan Kalyoncu University Prof. Dr. Gül Rengin Küçükerdoğan by YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar.
Stating that barrier-free university activities strengthen equal opportunity in higher education, Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Gül Rengin Küçükerdoğan said that accessibility is not limited to physical arrangements, and that a holistic approach covering academic, digital and social areas is adopted.
Merve Erhalı, a 4th-year student in the Department of Guidance and Psychological Counselling at the HKU Faculty of Education, said that the Barrier-Free University activities carried out at the university facilitate the active participation of students with disabilities in educational processes thanks to accessible transport, classroom and library arrangements. Erhalı also stressed that the scholarships and support provided by YÖK offer an important opportunity for students.
Onur Değirmenci, a 4th-year student in the Department of Psychology, stated that the step-free and accessible transport facilities offered across the campus, the reader-coder support provided in examinations, extra time arrangements and accessible course materials significantly strengthen his academic process.
Continuing its accessible and inclusive approach to education through concrete practices, Hasan Kalyoncu University earned Barrier-Free University Programme Badges for the Special Education Teaching Programme (50% Scholarship), the Radio, Television and Cinema Programme (Full Scholarship), the Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Programme (Full Scholarship) and the Psychology Programme (Full Scholarship – in 2 categories).
