Challenges for students and adults with special needs and their integration into the labour market Marko Strle, MEd.

CENTER ZA KOREKCIJO SLUHA IN GOVORA PORTOROŽ CENTRO PER LA CORREZIONE DELL´UDITO E DELLA PRONUNCIA PORTOROSE Sončna pot 14 A, 6320 Portorož

Aims To present the existing and new practices in the area of higher education and vocational training of persons with special needs. To stress the importance of empowering the intercultural education while looking for new opportunities.

To discover good practices of developing creativity in teaching and learning. To focus on equal opportunities while defining principles to improve the efficiency of educational and vocational institutions.

The participants could experience some good practices within the institutions, organizations, associations for persons with special needs.

They could actively participate in presenting and sharing different viewpoints regarding the effective support of students with special needs and their integration into the labour market.

Approaches taken by participating countries regarding the theme of the visit

Turkey –There are also subsidies for people with disabilities. Disabled people who are active in the labor market benefit from tax reductions. The amount of reduction differs according to the degree of disability. –New systems for training and employment of disabled people have been introduced. For every 50 employed 1 has to be disabled. »The most important of them is Regulation on Private Vocational Rehabilitation Centers that provides a basis for opening vocational rehabilitation centers in Turkey for the first time.

UK –There are no financial incentives to employers to employ disabled people but we have over 55,000 social enterprise organisations which are primarily established to serve the community and disadvantaged groups. »Social Firms, a model of Social Enterprise, employ 25% of their workforce who are disabled. Other organisations look to their corporate social responsibility and equal opportunities policies.

UK –The UK has a robust system of Government policies in place such as equal opportunities, Every child matters, discrimination policies etc. In the UK we also have government guidelines and directives such as Valuing People Now and Valuing Employment Now. »The UK also has a 3 year national Government pilot, of which Herefordshire Council is one, for the Getting a Life project which identifies how young people with learning disability achieve employment by identifying barriers, developing pathways into eimployment and equal citizenship and shared learning across the UK – this has started in schools for children aged 14 – 19 years and incorporates a multi-disciplinary approach from schools, Further Education, local authority and supported employment agencies.

Poland –There is much support for children and adults with special needs in the form of schools, vocational establishments, day centres and individual tuition. »They have an initiative whereby a student is part time at school and part time employed. »There tends to be special factories to employ disabled people where they modify machinery. »Adults have to go before a Commission to state what work they are able to do, if they become employed then the individual receives tax benefits.

Italy –It is fraught with difficulties for students to attend University, they have no right to a specialist tutor or support and access is difficult. –The law is generally well applied with support from local agencies. –In employment, it is generally adopted that it is preferable to employ physically disabled people rather than those with a learning disability.

Macedonia –There is a tendency for students to choose the University according to the one that is most disabled friendly rather than one which offers the most appealing faculty of learning. –The Deaf disabled tend to choose only art as there is little communication involved. –A pilot study in Universities for one year has demonstrated that with the aid of a personal assistant the student can lead a more independent life.

Challenges faced by participating countries

There are issues of architectural barriers for disabled people across most of the countries represented with the exception of the UK as it is a government requirement for disabled access.

There are transport issues at weekends for activities for disabled people to partake of.

Poor material conditions for students with special needs: high expenses for above standard equipment are difficult to cover by low scholarships; a huge financial burden – still dependent on parents; student employment possible only exceptionally.

Calls for additional provisions of the status of a student with special needs: entitlement to the scholarship for one extra year, the right to prolonged residing in student halls of residence etc.

Awareness raising was a common theme for promoting what is available.

Legislation is not adequate in many of the countries represented.

Unwritten rule of employing someone with physical disability as opposed to people with learning disability in most of the countries represented.

Effective and innovative solutions

The transition from primary to secondary education is positive and is an holistic approach. Slovenia looks to countries like Austria, Sweden and Finalnd for their global strategy and interpretation.

Living community for secondary school students during training (primarily those who choose to continue their studies and live independently; it offers training and possibilities for improving social skills as a preparation for autonomy with all the necessary support services) – a definitely essential and important step in this field.

Professional Centres – educational and medical expertise in the forms of professional teams: OT, Paediatricians, Physiotherapists, Psychologists, Teachers, Social workers, Speech therapists...

Slovenia knows the needs of its disabled market and are using funds actively. Some good examples of social networking Good incentives to employers in the form of tax incentives.

Future plans Creating networks of experts, building partnerships …

To establish a network between the participants Publish details of participants

Macedonia is to set up a collaborative partnership with host in Slovenia Introduce Institute for Blind and Partially Sighted Children in Ljubljana with Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford, UK

UK – Herefordshire Council Day Service Opportunities to establish contact with Centerkontura to explore opportunities of future partnership collaboration through EU projects and for a possible transversal programme to LdV Social Enterprise for Adults with Learning Disability

Italy to send the methodology of their Plan project to Centerkontura to evaluate the opportunity to participate in a common project regarding employment's needs of disadvantaged people

Thank you! Hvala!