support for the disabled

Support for people with disabilities

 

The Director's Representative for the activities pertaining to disability and equal opportunity is supported by the administrative staff of the Cultural events and career service.
The support activities dedicated to people with disabilities are also managed in connection with  USID - Ufficio Servizi per l'Integrazione di studenti con Disabilità ( Office for the integration of students with disabilities) of the University of Pisa, for students of the latter institution. The Normale has signed an agreement with the University of Pisa and the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna to enhance the experience and specialist skills of USID, a hub of excellence in the local territory regarding support and integration of those with disabilities. In particular, the following services are offered:

* Support for the reception of students with disabilities or with specific learning difficulties and their families to decide on the specific type of intervention required; 
* support for the carrying out of tests and competitions preparatory to enrolment (the management of applications for assistance and compensatory and dispensary measures, analyses of the applications and the definition of the assistance required, in agreement with the commission, and the subsequent carrying out of the compensatory and dispensary measures); 
* support for the services of accompaniment and transport throughout the local urban territory to all the university structures, as well as ensuring the accessibility of the lecture rooms and relationships with the contact people for the lecture times; 
- consultancy for the identification of the integrated teaching aids required (interactive whiteboards, headphones with personalised audiometric profile, automatic text transcription systems…) included in the training of lecturers and with the assistance during the lectures, where necessary, of a suitably trained part-time student; 
- consultancy for the identification of compensatory and/or dispensary tools for the sitting of exams and possible information exchange/mediation with the lecturers regarding the situation of the student. 
The Teaching and Student Service organises and manages the specialist mentoring activities in support of students with disabilities. Appropriate actions are planned depending on the specific case and special needs of the disabled individual, and career support is provided, including all aspects not directly regarding teaching (incoming and outgoing orientation, placement, co-ordination with the  psychological support service).
Students with disabilities can also count on the professional psychological and psychotherapeutic support offered by the Normale.

In recent years, at the Normale there has been a growing sensitivity towards those with disabilities or invalidity, partly thanks to the few but significant experiences gained with those directly involved.
In addition to its duties as specified by law, the Normale has made it possible for its courses to be available also to those with special needs, for example by promoting specialist teaching mentoring.
Considering the low numbers that are a feature of the Normale and the high specificity potential of the actions to be put in place, requiring specific skills, the aim is to consolidate and amplify its partnership with other institutions already well organised in these terms, first and foremost with the University of Pisa.  A dedicated web page will also be set up to communicate all the opportunities available and all useful information.
However, in order for us to be able to decide upon specific and efficacious actions, certain information is required: the Normale does not require students to declare any disabilities or invalidity except at the admission competition, so as to provide those with special needs with assistance or extra time for sitting the exams. In full compliance with the self-determination of each individual and guaranteeing total confidentiality, we invite anyone interested to contact the support staff, after filling in the dedicated on-line questionnaire.
Thanks to this initiative, the best tools and services available will enable disabled students to live to the full the learning experience and the community life of the Normale.

Image by Neil Thomas on unsplash