Made by:
Windyz B. Ferreira
[1]
This report presents the results of the gathering of information on public policies carried out in the context of the World Bank Project Inclusive Education in Brazil, diagnosis of current situation and challenges for the future, carried out between 23 March and 30 May 2003. This document, therefore, provides information on the current situation (diagnosis) as well as opinions on future challenges related to public policies for the development of inclusive education in Brazil. The information was gathered from the following sources:
Group discussion on six Brazilian inclusive education experiences, carried out during the event Diagnosis of inclusive education in Brazil, current situation and outlook for the future that took place in Rio de Janeiro between 24 and 26 March 2003, and
The discussion list (inclusiva@lists.worldbank.org) collected during the six week Discussion forum on inclusive education organised and coordinated by the World Bank in partnership with CNOTINFOR (www.cnotinfor.pt) of Portugal, in which more than 200 delegates from several Brazilian states and representatives of Latin American countries took part.
Accordingly, this study is a compilation of ‘information, opinions, and reflections’ coming from disabled people from diverse sectors of society, academics, professionals from different areas, representatives of the tertiary sector (Associations, foundations and NGOs), representatives of communities, federal, state and municipal bodies, and, in some cases, my own views.
Under the auspices of the World Bank and for nearly two months, a large number of Brazilians and several colleagues from other Latin American countries devoted various hours of their time to sharing their experiences, enriching and developing their knowledge and, above all, re-examining their own concepts on what ‘real non-exclusive education’, that is, inclusive education should be.
All the people who participated in this study are, in one form or another, committed to the development of inclusive education in Brazil and concerned by the complexities and numerous barriers that are still preventing disabled people’s rights in Brazilian society being effectively guaranteed. In this period I had the privilege of acting as the consultant for this innovative and challenging experiment in real-life qualitative research and of learning from everybody who contributed to the building of the Diagnosis of inclusive education in Brazil. I hope that the study in question will serve as support for all people involved in thinking about and drawing up public policies for education in our country.
For me, more than being just a research ‘report’, this document is a celebration of the efforts of a group of Brazilian citizens who are trying to help our country transform itself into a more just and equalitarian nation, one that is more supportive and open to learn from the representatives of ALL social groups, including the so-called vulnerable groups, within which are disabled people, whose right to be heard and to have actions carried out on their behalf must always be respected and supported.
This report is made up of four sections. In the first, I provide a summary view of the international directives for the fundamental principles and basic guidelines for the governments of the nation on the five continents to set out their public policies. In the second section, current Brazilian legislation in the field of education is examined, with particular attention being paid to public policies regarding disabled people. In the third section, the aspects of public policies on inclusive education that emerged during the activities carried out in the context of the World Bank’s project Inclusive education in Brazil, diagnosis of current situation and challenges for the future are discussed. Finally, I set out some closing considerations on the subject of public policies and inclusive education and on the experience of coordinating work concerned with this subject.
The attention given to the quality and effectiveness of educational systems has grown significantly in both industrialised and developing countries. In particular, however, after the launching of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (ONU1989) ( http://www.direitoshumanos.usp.br/documentos/tratados/crianca/convencao_sobre_os_direitos_da_crianca.html) and the UNESCO documents World Declaration on Education for All and Framework for Action to meet Basic Learning Rights (1990) and the Salamanca Statement, Framework for Action on Special Needs Education (1994 – www.mec.gov.br/seesp/) there has been an intensification of the global movement to improve teaching and learning conditions for children and young people who are attending school but not advancing. There is also growing concern regarding those young people who do not have access to education, such as disabled children or children from disadvantaged social classes or minority groups. Accordingly, subjects such as school administration and development, teacher training, learning processes, diversified teaching strategies and the diversity of learning styles for pupils, among others, have been constantly the focus of debate, studies, projects and programmes.
Article 23 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states that:
"… all mentally or physically disabled children should enjoy a full and decent life; States Parties recognize the right of the disabled child to special care and shall encourage and ensure the extension, subject to available resources, to the eligible child and those responsible for his or her care, of assistance for which application is made and which is appropriate to the child's condition and to the circumstances of the parents or others caring for the child. Assistance extended shall be designed to ensure that the disabled child has effective access to and receives education, training, health care services, rehabilitation services, preparation for employment and recreation opportunities in a manner conducive to the child's achieving the fullest possible social integration. States Parties shall also promote the exchange and dissemination of information regarding treatment methods and techniques, education and rehabilitation, with the aim of enabling State Parties to improve their capabilities and skills and to widen their experience in these areas."
The Declaration on Education for All (UNESCO 1990), on the other hand, ‘represents a global consensus of a much wider reaching vision of basic education and also represents a renewed commitment to ensure that the basic learning needs of all children, young people and adults will be effectively met in all countries.’
The Salamanca Statement (UNESCO 1994), for its part, defends the ‘principle of inclusion, through the recognition of the need to provide 'schools for everyone' – institutions that include all persons, that celebrate differences, support learning and respond suitably to individual needs. Thus these institutions are an important contribution to the task of achieving Education for All and for making schools more effective educationally.’ (pp.iii-iv).
Although this target is widely debated all round the world, the situation is still critical with regard to the schooling of children with special educational needs, particularly in developing countries where
‘the on-going struggle to provide basic compulsory education for most children takes precedence over the need to find ways to educate those with disabilities. Many disabled pupils and others who fail to acquire levels of knowledge considered to be satisfactory are formally excluded from the normal teaching system or they receive less favourable treatment in schools than other children.’ (Ainscow, 1993, p.201)
In 2000, UNESCO published the document Inclusion in Education: the participation of disabled learners, launched at the Dakar World Education Forum ‘Education for All 2000 Assessment’ [2] (http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001234/123486e.pdf). This document reviews the development of the theory, policy and practice of inclusive education since the holding of the Education for All Conference and firmly places this review in the context of human rights. According to the Dakar document,
‘inclusive education is concerned with identifying and overcoming all barriers to effective, continuous and quality participation in education, particularly in the primary cycle, where a well-documented human right to free participation is widely accepted.’ (UNESCO 2000,p.03)
The Brazilian government is a signatory to all the international documents of social and educational relevance and, as we will see in the following section, has tried to implement public policies that meet the international directives. However, in spite of this, the present diagnosis highlights that with regard to legal guarantees on the rights of disabled children young people and adults to education, the legislation is still widely unknown, is not complied with, is neglected or, even worse, is consciously violated by decision-makers who do not fear legal retribution.
In accordance with international directives, numerous laws have been approved that guarantee, among other rights, the right of all children and young people to education, however, the right of children and young people with disabilities to have access to and be successful in education is covered as follows:
This same law establishes that:
In addition to these laws, the following legal documents (Ferreira, 2003) are relevant for the defence of disabled persons’ rights in Brazil:
Covers the “need to complement the training curricula of teachers and other professionals who interact with pupils with special educational needs.”
Establishes “the Brazilian Braille Commission, on a permanent basis.”
“Sets out provisions on the accessibility requisites of disabled persons, to be used in processes for authorisation and recognition of courses and accreditation of institutions.”
“Sets out the regulations for law 7853/89 and the provisions for national policy for the integration of disabled people, consolidates protection rules and provides other provisions.”
“Establishes general rules and basic criteria for promoting accessibility of disabled people or people with reduced mobility and provides other provisions.”
“Sets out national directives for Special Education in Basic Education.”
“Puts into effect the Inter-American Agreement for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Disabled People.”
Although Brazilian legislation, if compared with that of other countries, may be considered as being advanced with respect to social and educational guarantees for equal participation of disabled people in the various areas of society, the reality and the available information – including this diagnosis – show that such rights have been systematically violated. Whether in the public or private sector, in federal, state or municipal institutions, the great majority of disabled children, young people and adults are excluded from educational opportunities, that is, either they do not have access to schools or, when they do have such access they do not have access to the curricular content and fail educationally and are, as a consequence, sidelined.
In addition, disabled people have fewer opportunities to learn and live socially with their peers, still being ‘hidden (…), oppressed, insulted and abused. Sometimes, having a disabled child can represent (for the parents) something to be ashamed of or seen as a punishment from God’ (SCS s/d www.rb.se or postmaster@scs.org.pe). Living in such a situation of social inequality ends up generating the basis for economic inequality in adult life and, consequently, putting down the roots of a cycle of permanent poverty and social exclusion.
Although the alterations introduced in the LDB (MEC 1996) and the changes made in the 1990s to public policies regarding the rights of the disabled and education show that changes have occurred, the results cannot be considered as being numerically significant with regard to access to schooling, as can be seen from the table below that has data from the period 1996-98.
| Type of Disability | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual | 8.081 | 13.875 | 15.437 | 91.5% |
| Hearing | 30.578 | 43.241 | 42.408 | 38.76% |
| Physical | 7.921 | 13.135 | 16.462 | 107.8% |
| Mental | 101.021 | 189.370 | 181.332 | 49.9% |
| Múltiple | 23.552 | 47.481 | 42.578 | 81% |
| Behavioural | 9.529 | 25.681 | 8.976 | -5.8% |
| Gifted children | 490 | 1.724 | 1.187 | 142.2% |
| Others | - | - | 28.588 | - |
| Total | 201.142 | 334.507 | 337.004 | 67.5% |
The international emphasis on improving teaching systems to respond to the basic needs (UNESCO 1990) and special needs of children and young people (UNESCO 1994, UNESCO 2000) in socially disadvantaged groups made the 1990s a decade that saw an increase in the number of matriculations of disabled pupils in basic education and there was also an increase in the number of institutions and services for disabled people (Ferreira 2003). In spite of this, this increase has not been really significant, as can be seen from the table above.
It is interesting to note that, due to a lack of statistics produced from national surveys, since the 1970s the governments of the countries of the South – those considered as being poor – have adopted the estimates provided by international reports with regard to their public policies. According to such estimates (UNESCO 1993), in the developing economies,
‘about 10% of the population is disabled and, of these, less than 1% have access to any type of treatment or education.’
Applied to Brazil today, this percentage would represent about 17 million people, that is, twice the population of Rio de Janeiro and approximately 20 times the population of João Pessoa in the north-eastern state of Paraíba. However, the data of the 2003 Demographic Census [3] (IBGE) show that the Brazilian indices are nearly fifty per cent higher than the international estimates, as set out as follows:
‘24.5 million Brazilians or 14.5% of the total population of the country have some type of disability. These are people with, at least, difficulty in understanding, hearing, or moving or with some physical or mental disability’ (my emphasis)
| Mental Disability | Physical Disability | Motor Disability | Visual Disability | Hearing Disability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.3% | 4.1% | 22.9% | 48.1% | 16.7% |
| - | - | - | 16.5 millions | 5.7 millions |
| - | - | - | 59.824 blind | 176.067 deaf |
In addition to these statistical data, the research work Disabled Children and the Convention on the Rights of the Child: a defensive tool[4] (Ferreira, Silva, Duarte and Santos Neto 2002 – http://www.edtodos.org.br), financed by Save the Children Sweden[5] , revealed the systematic practices of the violation of disabled children’s and young people’s rights in the educational context, as set out below:
Recognising the conditions affecting the lives and educational process of disabled people, the ex-minister of education[6] , in the introduction to the book Right to Education, special educational needs: support for the actions of the Brazilian public prosecutor (general guidelines and main legal aspects) (In Portuguese; MEC/SEESP 2001, p.07 – seesp@seesp.mec.gov.br) states:
“in the area of Education and, specifically that of people with special educational needs, present legislation undoubtedly represents a very important advance, although in reality we may still be far from meeting society’s wishes to provide a more dignified and just life for these children, young people and adults. Accordingly, the search for a partnership with the Public Prosecutor is, undoubtedly, of extraordinary importance to put the legal mechanisms into practice, in order to concretise the right to education, from the perspective of cooperation with the executive authorities as the ‘Guardians of the Constitution and the laws’ ” (my emphasis)
The minister’s comment emphasizes, above all, the need to guarantee the rights of disabled people by guaranteeing respect for and effective use of legal mechanisms. In its simplest form it can be said that ‘inclusion is a matter of human rights’ (CSIE,s/d – http://www.inclusion.uwe.ac.uk) and public policies must ensure that this human right exists in the lives of those men and women who are being pushed to the margins of society (Alan 1999).
In consonance with Brazilian public policies for education that are directed towards defending and promoting guarantees of the rights of disabled people to education, in 2003, the Federal Public Prosecutor, through the Federal Procurator for Citizens’ Rights (“Procuradoria Federal dos Direitos do Cidadão - PFDC”) published the manual Access of disabled people to normal classes and schools of the standard teaching system (http://www.pgr.mpf.gov.br/pfdc/pfdc.html) in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the existence of the PFDC. In the words of the Federal Procurator[7] , the manual is a way of contributing to the spreading “of a culture that does not discriminate against disabled people”.
After this presentation of the Brazilian context regarding policies directed towards disabled people, I will now discuss the subjects, matters and opinions that form the body of the Diagnosis of Inclusive Education in Brazil.
‘Public Policies are those government policies directed towards meeting priorities in the typical functions of the State such as: security, justice, education, health, combating poverty – better and more just distribution of income. They are, in reality, the tools that the government has as its disposal to try to minimise social disparities.’ (FUNLYSSES, 2001,p.13). In this diagnosis we are looking at those public policies directed towards developing an educational system that is more inclusive with regard to all Brazilian children, young people and adults who are faced with barriers to learning. In this educational context our focus is on those public policies that promote the improvement of teaching quality and try to combat the disparities that exist in the educational system – lack of access to schooling, scholastic failure, evasion and distortion of the ages and types of disabled children, young people and adults.
Following an examination of the information gathered, below I present a series of diagnoses and recommendations aimed at helping to resolve the current challenges facing Brazilian educational reality. The sections of text in inverted commas and italics were taken from contributions made by participants in the World Bank Project “Inclusive Education in Brazil”.
Below I present diagnoses and the respective recommendations for issues that can improve the development of public policies that are more compatible with the present reality of Inclusive Education in Brazil and which, we hope, will enrich the debates of those people who have the power to make decisions. In addition, we highlight the need to have more effective forms for the participation of the population – both individuals and organised groups – for which such public policies are aimed, that is, disabled people.
According to the findings of this study, it is evident that existing public policies are not working. Although Brazilian laws developed during the 1990s today cover several social areas to a significant degree (work, education, accessibility, etc), they are not known about or adhered to and there is no public policy that has the purpose of ensuring these laws are applied in a timely fashion with information about the referred laws being spread nationally.
Policy for Dissemination of Information on Laws that exist on children’s rights in general and, in particular, those of disabled people. This should be done on a national basis and the right to education should be given special emphasis.
Although there are policies regarding the rights and needs of disabled people in various social areas, these are not interlinked in any way nor is there any coordination of the actions implemented by the different government bodies. For example, a school that obtains resources from the federal government for changes does not need to take into account physical access and, therefore, that school remains inaccessible to a part of the population. The federal government has launched a campaign entitled ‘Olho no Olho’ (Eye to eye) for donating glasses to pupils with visual problems but this is not linked with identifying children and young people with sub-normal vision or blind people who are not at school.
This lack of coordination, together with a lack of knowledge of the law, makes visually disabled people and their needs invisible to the eyes of the legislators and administrators and to government targets.
A policy of coordination between the existing public policies and the various lines of action/strategy. This policy should also optimise the application of resources. For this to happen it is necessary to create an inter-sector committee to support the development and implementation of a new culture.
The tradition whereby public policies are not put into practice in everyday life has given rise to the belief – a culture – that only by “fighting” for the right to education, for the right to enrol in a public school or other types of school, can we ensure that the law is complied with. However, in most cases this “fight” takes place on an individual basis that is extremely wearing for those involved, that is, the disabled child/young person/adult and his/her family.
The study showed that in the area of education, this “fight” is characterised by a lone project waged by the disabled person’s family against the “school community” or the “teachers”. Such a conflict generates weariness and animosity against the child in the school. In spite of this, the “fight” is seen and felt to be necessary and inevitable if the child’s right are to be guaranteed.
Policy of Removing Bureaucracy from the legal processes against schools that violate the Constitution, the basic law and other existing laws, creating more agile ways of promoting change and ensuring that enrolment is compulsory. Avoiding conflict and reducing the duration of the struggle between the school and the family will certainly favour the process of the pupil’s inclusion and will reduce the chances of creating more stigmas against the child in the school.
The lack of opportunities to participate in the various social forums is also identified in the definition of the guiding directives for public policies. This situation of ‘removing power’ from disabled people reflects the belief that they are incapable or incompetent when it comes to contributing, in general terms, to the development of the nation. However, this is an outdated and prejudiced view of the members of this social group since, obviously, their voices (opinions and visions based on real experiences) are fundamental for ensuring that the people who make policy think as they do.
Policy of Partnership with Disabled People’s Organisations so that data can be collected on a joint basis that will support public policies and government actions directed towards this social group,
Policy of Supporting and Encouraging the foundation of NGOs for Disabled People, with a view to developing future partnerships and social areas and encouraging education. Such policies might involve financial support linked to a process of professionalisation (sustainable development) in the context of tertiary sector actions directed at promoting the education of disabled children, young people and adults.
The study shows the urgency of defining – in the context of Brazilian educational public policies – just what inclusion is and what are the underlying principles, as well as clarifying what are ‘special educational needs’ in the context of Brazilian education and ‘who are the students that have special needs’.
To define these principles is fundamentally important for guiding the public policies aimed at meeting such principles in day-to-day school life. In this way, such principles are guiding elements for public policies and actions as well as for school policies and actions.
Based on the data from this study, these principles must be directed towards guiding:
All government Policies and Actions in the sphere of General Education – Infant Education, Basic and Intermediate Education, the Teaching Profession, Supplementary Education and the Education of Young People and Adults, etc.), must INCLUDE the question of special needs and, in particular, the educational needs and rights of disabled people
Policy of Continually Feeding the Governmental System – the organisation of a National Forum for Debate that will involve the school communities in reflection on:
The FORUM could make use of Information and Communication technology resources in the following way (suggestion):
The diagnosis indicates that the social and educational inclusion of a disabled person will only become effective when society adopts a new attitude in relation to this social group. This implies eliminating all forms of prejudice and discrimination against disabled people in all social areas including the family, the community, in leisure, in schools, at work, etc.
Policy of Supporting the Worth of Disabled People (as happens with blacks, women, children, etc.) through the promotion of actions that disseminate positive information, such as successful professional experiences, gaining of scientific knowledge, etc.
As we have seen, Inclusive Education was born as part of Special Education and is still tightly linked to this area in spite of developing towards defending educational systems that are more effective for all people who confront barriers to learning, that is, everyone with special educational needs.
The launching of the Salamanca Statement on inclusive education as an international directive to be followed in a short period of time by the governments of the world, also set off in those professionals working in the area of Special Education the fear that THEIR area would be extinguished and no longer recognised as being an educational and social agent of value and relevance. Today, around the world, there is, consequently, a tension between those people who “work in special education” and those people who defend inclusive education. This tension affects social, professional and academic relations and is reflected in the uncertainties felt by professionals in both areas, or lines of thought, in relation to their professional future.
However, overriding such tension and the crisis affecting Brazilian education overall, public policies must seek out new forms and areas for contributing based on guaranteeing the rights of disabled people to quality education.
Policy for Encouraging Integration and Coordination between General Education and Special Education in the different teaching areas, through:
Put in a simple way, TO BREAK the culture whereby the Special Education area is isolated and segregated.
Although the government reports (IBGE 2000, School Census, etc) and international reports show the failings of the Brazilian educational system, the actions taken up to now have no realistic quantitative and qualitative indicators. An absence of indicators is also observed in the context of special education, the integrated education of disabled children and young people and, more recently, inclusive education.
It is therefore necessary that public policies consider the creation of tools (qualitative and quantitative) that make it possible to evaluate the results of the many actions implemented by the state and municipal systems throughout the country. These tools must cover all aspects of such actions, such as the surveying of the organic laws existing in the more than 5.000 municipalities in Brazil; the number of disabled children being schooled, disability types and learning (success rate, repetition, age-disability type distortion), special classes and pupils in each year, etc.
Policy for Evaluating Educational Results of children and young people with special needs, with particular emphasis on those with disabilities – at state, municipality and school levels (Data collected to build School Development Plan)
Guarantee the inclusion of indicators compatible with the needs of the data on disabled people and their education in the National CENSUS and the School Census.
This diagnosis shows that the media are not contributing towards transmitting information that supports the development of a new social and human comprehension with regard to disabled people. The statements and analyses arising during the debate show that “instead of contributing towards educating citizens, the Brazilian media are spreading incorrect and prejudiced information regarding disabled people”.
Policy of Guiding Directives for Information transmitted by the media that gives directives on ethics, the correctness of information, and details of organisations, websites and people who can be consulted on matters related to disabilities, etc.
Policy to Encourage the Media (national, regional, local) to transmit campaigns and information on existing laws and the rights of disabled people.
This was perhaps the subject that generated most controversy during the debate, precisely because it is very topical and is in direct conflict with the idea of equal rights for ALL without discriminating against anyone or giving anyone privileges, regardless of their personal characteristics. Here our recommendation is restricted to suggesting that the subject be the focus of debates in various social and political forums and that the decisions on Quotas for disabled people MUST represent the views of disabled people and reflect their interests.
Paradoxically, although basic education for all people in Brazil is almost a reality, the great majority of disabled children and young people are still excluded from the normal teaching system in terms of having access to successful educational schooling. Similarly, although information technology is developing rapidly, the Brazilian population in general, including education professionals still lack information and, above all, do not have access to existing documents on the legal rights of disabled children and young people.
One of the relevant questions raised during the debate that warrants reflection was the following: ‘when discussing public education policy should we explicitly mention disability or not since we are all clear that educational policy is Universal, [in other words], is it necessary to even speak about education for disabled people? One of the participants made this comment:
”I am sure that all of us would like to see disabled people so well integrated in all sectors of society that we would no longer need to speak about the blind, the deaf, people with mental disabilities, or people with any other type of special need, in line with the principle of universality”. In spite of this desire, the realisation that laws on their own do not guarantee the rights that are established leads us to consider that, “in the same way that today in the world and Brazil there is political concern with (a) equality between the sexes (for example, in African countries the number of girls at school is much less than the number of boys and there are many more illiterate women than men) and (b) access of negroes to general education (and in Brazil, to the universities – the very controversial “quotas”), then dealing with the right of disabled people to education can be seen as just a part of the movement to defend the rights of vulnerable groups.”
It is important to remember that, “in the complete version of the Salamanca Statement, in 1994, according to studies carried out in the participating countries, those countries that do not yet have an established or structured parallel system should not invest in separate policies. However, it seems that we have sometimes made efforts in the opposite direction. It would be interesting if we think that if inclusion exists because there are various exclusions, at least we can all take care of those excluded in each policy, it does not make sense to give privileges to some - except, of course, if such policies were temporary, that is, they would be ended as soon as their objectives were reached.” If the law is perpetual it loses its “main objective and runs the risk of perpetuating the privileges of some people without considering the exclusion of others.”’
“Education is still treated as being universal only when the pupils do not have different needs, that is, when all, or nearly all of the pupils can be put into just one category "THE NORMAL PUPILS". “My view in relation to this legal protectionism is that, of course the ideal would be an all-embracing legislation, "without crutches", but for the time being we must recognise that our country is still one where there is social injustice. Accordingly it seems more prudent for us to try to struggle for and guarantee the rights of disabled people in an explicit manner.’ [my emphasis]
“I am so disappointed at the idea that this discussion group is ending. I have only been participating in this for two weeks and have been benefiting from everything I have learnt from the other participants. Initiatives like this should not have a defined time to end but they should be like love: "eternal for as long as it lasts", principally in this world with so many social inequalities. Here I encountered people interested in helping others for no reasons of personal vanity. I agree with what most people have been saying: if the discussion list is not to continue we will have to invent something better to substitute it.”
“I would like to thank everyone for an unforgettable experience: those who talked a lot, those who were quieter, those who agreed, disagreed, or brought a new perspective to my reflections, those who I already knew and admired, and those new friends who I met here … to all of you, my sincere THANKS, for all that I have learnt in these six weeks, when my thinking has been transformed through our debate, and mainly, for the opportunity to re-build and freshen up my own line of discussion, re-finding my direction and new reasons for working, struggling and, for sure, making new emotional and professional discoveries.”
“When opening my e-mails today I felt an immense sadness when reading the farewell messages. Although there is the hope that this will continue, I was saddened to know that we had reached the end, that we were leaving. These were weeks when we learnt a lot, exchanged lots of experiences and there was fraternal cordiality. At the beginning I was afraid of expressing my views as I was just starting off in this area involving Disabled People, and I feel satisfied that I was able to take the opportunity to exchange views with such skilled and well-qualified people. I am also grateful for having been supported by all of you at such a difficult time in my life – the inclusion of my son in school. What I learnt I used as support and ammunition to make sure I did not give up the struggle nor stop believing that it is possible to create a better world.”
“The on-line discussion group fulfilled the function of giving support, and allowing the exchange and dissemination of information on disabled people, their rights and needs. This was both informative and good training at the same time. When I realised this I thought that there is a need for support groups organised by social groups or civil organisation that can encourage access to and dissemination of information on a continuous basis. As I have said before, the training offered by universities has no value unless it is associated with reality, with life “out there” beyond the walls of academia.”