Nowadays, people with intellectual disabilities have a limited participation in higher education (Universities) due to the lack of adapted resources, although efforts have been already carried out in different countries to increase the presence of people with intellectual disabilities with a functional level and previous skills that enable them to perform and to learn at Higher Education environments (Universities). Nevertheless, it is usual that professionals of education don’t feel prepared enough to attend properly to people with special education needs, especially in high education levels, due to a lack of training in strategies for attention to diversity within grades that give access to university environment as professionals. Thus, this programme is addressed at teachers and professors at the University level, to improve their knowledge about intellectual disabilities, the specific educational needs related to them, and the different possibilities to adapt their subjects for the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. To this end, a Pilot Course Curriculum will be designed (O1), comprising a wide range of transversal subjects, methodologies and resources for the adaption of their official curricula and teaching materials to the needs of people with intellectual disabilities, including practical internships. This output will also comprise the Guidelines for the implementation of the designed curriculum, aimed at policy makers, administration officers and other stakeholders involved in the role of higher education environments as promoters of effective social inclusion. In addition, a VLE (O2) will be created, based on the course designed in O1, to enhance the internationalization and convergence of the national formats, as well as the exchange of methodologies and good practices. The transnational cooperation required for the development of this project will ensure the exchange of best policies in the training of teachers for the attention to intellectual disabilities. The consortium if formed by 5 Universities from various cultural backgrounds and wide geographical coverage (Belgium, Portugal, Italia and Spain); 2 Associations committed to the support of people with intellectual disabilities; a Research Institute focused in the design, implementation and evaluation of social welfare policies; and an SME with a wide experience in the development of Virtual Environments for different purposes, including education and health and social inclusion. The target groups involved in this project are Universities, Associations and NGOs, researchers and teachers at higher education levels, policy makers and national representatives. 4 Events will be organised in the partner countries, to disseminate the outputs and collect feedback, consisting on workshops on the field of inclusive education; besides, a Learning/Teaching activity will offer the possibility of testing and validating the Virtual Learning environment and promote the exchange of experiences and good practices. The most outstanding impact of the Project will be the development of the basis to increase the number of official university degrees addressed at the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in higher education contexts, improving their self-steem and autonomy and opening them new labour possibilities, becoming less dependent on social welfare systems or programmes; in turn, society will gain awareness on inclusion issues in higher education institutions and the benefits of sharing environments.
The main objective of this project is to develop a training protocol for the acquisition of professional skills by university teachers and lecturers to facilitate the educational inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in high education levels as official university degrees as well as specific degrees and other competences and programs. The common teacher training programs do not offer pedagogical competences, needed for teaching, and even less on the inclusive development of people with disabilities. Despite that, partners have observed different courses for the inclusion of people with disabilities in several European countries. The program provided make easier the access of every kind of professionals interested in this topic, enhancing the interest and educative skills for attending people with intellectual disabilities that are present in university context, no matter they are in regular or specialized studies.
Nowadays, people with intellectual disabilities have a limited participation in higher education (Universities) due to the lack of adapted resources, although efforts have been already carried out in different countries to increase the presence of people with intellectual disabilities with a functional level and previous skills that enable them to perform and to learn at Higher Education environments (Universities). Nevertheless, it is usual that professionals of education don’t feel prepared enough to attend properly to people with special education needs, especially in high education levels, due to a lack of training in strategies for attention to diversity within grades that give access to university environment as professionals. Thus, this programme is addressed at teachers and professors at the University level, to improve their knowledge about intellectual disabilities, the specific educational needs related to them, and the different possibilities to adapt their subjects for the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.