10.6.7. Provide accessible facilities for people with disabilities Â
Lebanese University promotes the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or another status. Â
Principally, the core values of the Lebanese University, as a public free access institution, include equality of all, regardless of ethnicity, religion, disability or gender. According to the above, the Lebanese University have built some campuses and implemented many branches of its faculty on all the Lebanese territory, in order to reduce inequalities and to give equal chances to all students resident in Lebanon to access to the higher education. So even the students with modest financial capabilities could pursue their higher studies. Moreover, the Lebanese University put a plan to build more campuses in new areas in order to give more chance to all students willing to continue their studies, knowing that the number of enrolled students at the Lebanese University is increasing gradually, and knowing that the Syrian refugee crisis that affected Lebanon, requires more premises and more campuses covering the higher educational needs.
 Lebanese University covers most of the Lebanese territories, but there are still highly populated regions, like the province of Akkar in North Lebanon, which are in urgent need of a national university presence on the ground. Therefore, opening a university campus in Akkar constitutes a priority project for the university. It is also true that our branches are disseminated in the five Lebanese provinces, but many of our buildings need renovation and some of them should be completely put out of service. In fact, we are in urgent need of suitable university campuses, such as the one constructed in Hadeth in the suburbs of Beirut, which meet international standards. The Fanar campus, north of Beirut, is currently under expansion; the Tripoli campus will be completed at the beginning of the next academic year; and the construction of Zahle campus in the Bekaa Valley should begin at the same period. As we all know, building infrastructure is as important as human resources, and all these projects need financing. We are working over with the Lebanese authorities to provide the necessary funding, but times are difficult, so private funding is also welcome. We must not forget that the private sector is a large beneficiary of our high-level graduates.
The new premises of the LU in El-Hadath are accessible to students with physical disabilities. The faculty of engineering is located in HADATH campus of the Lebanese University and has a capacity of 15,000 students. The building includes 11 amphitheaters, one of which can host 800 persons, a library and one of the most advanced laboratories of Lebanon which is highly equipped for chemical, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers.Â
Able Summit 2019Â
At the Lebanese University, students with special needs are taken into consideration through measures taken by the faculties according to their capabilities and according to the nature of health conditions, including:Â
Securing private rooms and providing additional teaching hours.Â
Providing books, lectures and exams in large font.Â
Securing university materials on audio tapes.Â
Securing someone to write during the exam.Â
Allowing cars for people with special needs to enter the campus and facilitating their movement on-campus, particularly through elevators.Â
Providing extra time for exams and facilitating the access of the electric wheelchair to the lecture hall.Â
Exemption from some tuition fees.
A number of the university buildings is designed taking into consideration the requirements for people with special needs through corridors, ramps, toilets, etc.Â
As a public institution in Lebanon, the core values of the Lebanese University include equality for all regardless of race, religion, gender or disability.Â
Therefore, the branches of the faculties of the Lebanese University cover all the Lebanese territory, based on the principle of giving equal opportunities to all students residing in Lebanon to access higher education.Â
The Lebanese University believes in higher education in all phases, with an almost free financial fee. In addition, the University devised a plan to build more LU compounds in new areas, including Akkar and Hermel, to provide greater opportunity for all students wishing to pursue their studies, given that the number of students registered at the Lebanese University is gradually increasing.Â
In 2018, the Lebanese University entered into an agreement with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development aimed at strengthening the link between research and policy as an effective approach to strengthening participatory decision-making and strengthening governance in addressing the multiple issues of social transformations in Lebanon.Â
The Lebanese University campus includes special organizations such as passways, ramps, dedicated toilets and other arrangements for people with disabilities, to enable them to easily access the campus.Â