Projects supporting the improvement of university integration objectives, enhancing existing services and introducing new tools that are fair, flexible and barrier-free for people with disabilities and special needs.
Duration: 2022-2025
Scientific Coordinator: Claudia De Giorgi
Project Type: Project funded by a competitive grant
PoliTO Role: Project Coordinator
The debate on making the educational environment of Italian universities truly accessible emerged at the turn of the millennium. In 1999, Law n. 104/1992, which focuses on the assistance, social inclusion, and rights of handicapped people, was integrated with Law 17 (28th January 1999), introducing measures to support disabled people attending university. This initiated a new awareness of the role that Italian universities must play in promoting the integration of students with special needs.
Inspired by principles such as the right to study, independent living, active citizenship, equal opportunities, and social inclusion, these directives were aggregated into the CNUDD guidelines (National University Conference of Disability Delegates). These guidelines have been adapted autonomously by national universities. Politecnico di Torino has adhered to these guidelines since 2000 and, in 2019, founded the Special Needs Unit. This unit focuses on disabilities and learning difficulties, aiming to support students through tailored accommodations and new learning strategies, with regular assessments of their effectiveness. The objective is to create a truly inclusive environment, particularly ensuring access to STEM disciplines for disabled and special needs students.
The services provided by Politecnico di Torino extend beyond mere compliance with existing regulations. There is an urgent need to advance and enhance the current offerings related to special needs. Academic interest in these issues is growing among Italian universities, with many independently developing complex and diversified training tools, conducting in-depth research, and exploring the accessibility of spaces and services.
Additionally, the Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 10 in the UN Agenda 2030, focused on Quality Education and the Reduction of Inequalities, call for immediate and targeted action. The slow implementation and consolidation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities present ongoing challenges at both system and micro levels. The Convention posits that disability is a form of diversity, and disadvantage arises when contexts do not account for this diversity.
Creating a genuinely inclusive learning environment requires a multidisciplinary and participatory design approach. The principles of universal design must be integrated to develop effective, resilient solutions tailored to each member of the academic community. Guidelines for inclusive design should aim to dismantle physical, architectural, and perceptual barriers while enhancing the existing services.
New interventions need to be co-designed to promote real inclusion policies within the polytechnic community. This includes leveraging my personal experience of disability and training in design fields, where I have intersected with social inclusion projects and gained insights from various academic contexts. My background in Industrial Product Design, Visual Communication, and experience at the MATto Materio library of the Polytechnic of Turin further informs my approach.
The PhD pathway will focus on improving university integration objectives by enhancing existing services and introducing new, fair, flexible, and barrier-free tools. This aims to create a learning space centered on individual student needs. Special attention will be given to diversifying the evaluation criteria for individual pathways and developing a contextualized communication design project to showcase services provided to the polytechnic community.
The creation of a multidisciplinary team is essential to co-design and implement these projects. Empowering the Special Needs Unit operators through ongoing training and involvement in decision-making processes is crucial. The approach will go beyond redesigning services to ensure accessibility and inclusivity.
In conclusion, the doctoral course will identify, concretize, and communicate a concerted design action within the real context of Politecnico di Torino. Grounded in the principles of Universal Design, the goal is to create a learning space that is equally accessible and inclusive for all students.
Involved Structure
- DAD, Department of Architecture and Design
- DIGEP, Department of Management and Production Engineering
Partner
- IED, Istituto Europeo di Design
- IST, Istituto Superiore Técnico (Lisboa)
Location
- Turin Polytechnic University
Project Team
- Claudia De Giorgi (DAD), Full Professor (L. 240), Vice Rector for Equal Opportunities, Inclusiveness and Life Quality
- Daniela Bosia (DAD), Full Professor (L. 240)
- Giulia Beltramino (DAD), Ph.D. candidate in Gestione, Produzione E Design , 38th cycle (2022-2025) e docente esterno e/o collaboratore didattico
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
4. Quality education
10. Reduced inequalities