Inclusion Projects

The Government grants ARES an annual subsidy (in accordance with the decree of 3 May 2019 governing measures relating to higher education and research) to organise an annual call for projects aimed at higher education institutions in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB).

The aim of the call for projects is to promote the inclusion of students in their studies by improving the accessibility of higher education institution buildings through the implementation of infrastructure and/or equipment improvements. These improvements make it possible to:

• Reduce barriers related to the disorders and/or illnesses affecting the students concerned.
• Provide better access to learning activities within institutions.
• Make lasting improvements to the daily lives of students with disabilities.

Practical information

The call for projects is open every year between the beginning of February and the end of March via an online form.

Projects are selected by an independent jury in June. Decisions are expected to be announced in July.

To be eligible to submit one or more projects, the call for projects sets out the following conditions:

• Be submitted by a higher education institution (HEI) recognised by the FWB, including adult education institutions providing higher education.
• Propose adaptations and/or equipment within the buildings for an amount between €10,000 and €100,000 (€120,000 in the case of a partnership between several HEIs).
• Be part of a comprehensive and functional inclusive vision, taking into account different types of disability (not exclusively people with reduced mobility) and involving the beneficiaries concerned. Responding to the needs of several types of disability is a priority.
• Meet the five criteria established by the decree (in accordance with the decree of 3 May 2019 governing measures relating to higher education and research.
• Comply with the requirements set out in the application file (accessibility audit, quotations, required plans), public procurement rules and eligible expenditure.

In figures

Following the first four editions of the call for projects since 2022, the call for inclusion projects has benefited:

• 37 higher education institutions from four types of education
• 64 concrete and diverse projects,
• for a total budget of €3,945,587.4

Support for the call for projects 

In order to help applicants prepare their applications as effectively as possible, the CESI has decided to provide HEIs with regular, free access to the services of accessibility experts, who are tasked with drafting an accessibility audit report for their buildings and/or answering their questions as they prepare their applications. For more information on this subject, please contact ARES at the following address: aap.inclusion@ares-ac.be.

Some resources

• A "toolkit" (only in French) is available to help project leaders prepare their application. 
• A guide on building accessibility (only in French) has been developed by a consulting firm specializing in accessibility, at the initiative of CESI, accompanied by advice sheets and analysis grids by type of space and type of disability. A call for inclusion projects has since been organised by ARES to make the buildings of interested HEIs accessible.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact ARES for more information about the call for proposals or for any other information about inclusive higher education or CESI - aap.inclusion@ares-ac.be.