Project Contents

This project refers to the students of UNIWA and aims to support students with special needs (SSN), students from sensitive social groups (SSS) and students from low income families (SLI), in order to ensure their access and participation on equal terms in their study program and academic life, up to their graduation. These student groups face impediments due to

(1) physical, bodily impairment or injury (sight, hearing, mobility or other serious illness),

(2) developmental / psychological disorders (learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorders, mental diseases),

(3) social problems (sensitive social groups, such as LGBTQ students, single-parent family students, prisoners, immigrants) and

(4) economic problems (low income, unemployment) or even combinations of these causes.

More than 40,000 students study in the undergraduate, graduate and PhD programs in UNIWA. A population of around 600 students is registered to be suffering from the above-mentioned problems of classes (1) and (2). Among them, 5% suffer sight impairment, 15% suffer hearing impairment, 35% have various mobility problems and 45% have learning disabilities, or developmental or other disorders. Moreover, a population of an equal size is estimated to suffer from the above-mentioned problems of classes (3) and (4) (social and/or economic impediments). Our estimation is that there exist yet a similar or larger number of students with class (2) problems who pass unnoticed as there is no systematic register procedure and who are in need of psychological counseling and support due to problems of temporary or of permanent type, either pre-existing or acquired during their studies. Resources to meet these needs are practically non-existing in UNIWA (a single administrative department with 3 employees for all students in the 3 UNIWA campuses).

The project addresses the needs of students that suffer problems of any of the 4 classes mentioned earlier and offers them a variety of actions to cover their major needs, to the extent that they relate to the studies. More specifically, the actions proposed cover

(a) Psychological support services,

(b) Psychological counseling services,

(c) Support services for SSN (accessible textbooks, accessible webpages and websites, support services for physically impaired students, library equipment, counseling professors, etc.),

(d) Financial support for SSS or SLI that do not receive financial aid from any other source.

A focal point for the organization and coordination of these actions is the Accessibility Unit proposed to be instituted and introduced in the UNIWA organization plan. This new unit is to be in close collaboration with all relevant administrative departments (Students Welfare Office, Information Technology Department, Network Operating Center, Technical Committee/Service) and academic departments (Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Biomedical Sciences, Information and Computer Eng., Electrical and Electronics Eng.) of UNIWA.