Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University

1. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University Sergio Baldi Università degli Studi di Napoli: “L’Orientale”

2. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • On the 28th of January 1999, the Italian Parliament approved law n.17, which integrated and modified a previous law, dealing with Disability in the University. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

3. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • According to this law the Universities must guarantee handicapped students the following: • a) specific technical and didactic aids; • b) the provision of appropriate services for specialized tutorship; • c) individual treatment to facilitate getting through university examinations. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

4. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • According to this law every university rector is obliged to appoint a professor for the task of coordinating, monitoring and taking care of all initiatives concerning the integration of these students within the University. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

5. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • This law in comparison to the previous one is a turning point  because, in the pastassistance to disabled students was only occasional and on demand. Butwith the new law the University is obliged to adopt a systematic approach regardingintegration and assistance for disabled students. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

6. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • In accordance with this law, the Rector of Università degli Studi di Napoli “L’Orientale” appointed me as his delegate in 2001 with the task of creating a permanent structure, as stated by the new law. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

7. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • The problems faced at that time were so many. And I did not know there were still others yet to come. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

8. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • I am a professor of Hausa - an African language, and unlike the other universities with experts in the medical fields, who can lend a hand to theirprograms for disabled students, - my university deals only with the humanities, being the oldest in the world for oriental languages (founded in 1732 as Collegio dei Cinesi to teach Chinese). • So I couldn’t get any such help like medical, psychological etc. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

9. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • This was not the first and the most difficult problem to overcome. Because of the economic crisis Italy is going through, the government has made substantial cuts in funding for education and social services forcing me to look elsewhere outside the university. Turning to local authorities and the private sector to sponsor some of our projects. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

10. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • Another aspect, I had to consider, is related to the administration of the bureau I built. I created a board of four colleagues, a representative for each of the Faculties (Humanities, Languages, Political Sciences and Islamic Studies). We later added a student-representative, plus the employees working with me. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

11. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • We have some very serious and permanent problems, related to the buildings of our university. The University Orientale is located downtown in very old buildings with no provisions at all for people with physical disabilities, which are under the control of “local Authority for the protection of monuments”. So it is not only difficult to find money for projects to render these buildings accessible to the disabled, any plan to pull down architectural barriers has to be approved. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

12. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • Another aspect, I had to consider, is related to the administration of the bureau I built. I created a board of four colleagues, a representative for each of the Faculties (Humanities, Languages, Political Sciences and Islamic Studies). We later added a student-representative, plus the employees working with me. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

13. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • The following steps are the draft of the statute for the organization and the working system of the structure, I created. This was quite new, because at that time there was almost no other university in Italy with a similar statute. With the help of my colleagues and my personal contribution, I was able to donate some instruments with which to run the structure. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

14. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • The standard work, we do, is based on three steps: 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

15. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • First Help after enrolment • The Bureau, called S.O.D. (Centre of Orientation for differently able people), helps mainly students, but sometimes employees and colleagues, who need any help in their academic work. Students with handicaps, after enrolling, pay less tax, and are automatically connected with this Bureau. Also on the university Web page there is an address for those who cannot come to the Bureau: http:www.iuo.it/tutor/disabili/info.htm. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

16. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • Guidance throughout the academic years • The student receives help for all his/her needs: i.e. someone takes care of him in the university, a tutor for his/her academic preparation, and help through official bureaucracy. The most important help is when the student needs a tutor to prepare for an examination, It is generally a senior student or a student preparing his PhD. Of course we have all technological instruments to help our students: e.g. software to enable blind students use computers, etc. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

17. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • Guidance through completion of studies • The University also provides tutorship for the students after their graduation, in collaboration with the Bureau of Carrier Services, giving them guidelines as to job opportunities. Employers who offer jobs to handicapped people have the possibility of paying less taxes. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

18. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • Another important step for our University, considering the fact we have no campus, but buildings scattered downtown, is the project we have embarked on to build student- apartments, thanks to a large amount of money donated by the local regional authority. Twenty percent of these apartments will be equipped for students with disabilities. 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

19. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

20. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

21. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)

22. Experience of 7 years work in Disability at Orientale University • Thanks • Dzięki • Merci • Grazie • Nā gōdè 3rd International Conference Education for All (Warsaw, June 29 – July 1, 2011)