Workbook final

In those years, the lobbying of disabled people’s associations in favour of mainstreaming was not a separate voice but

part of a broader social movement, which saw workers and university students campaigning together for justice and

democracy for all social minorities. The Framework Law for the Assistance, Social Inclusion and the Rights of Persons

with Disabilities no. 104 of 5

February 1992 (“Law”) itself was written by a commission, whose members had been

nominated by the Ministry of Education and which included various representatives of organization of persons with

disabilities.

Thereafter, the Law was complemented by a number of policies, including:

Ministerial Circular no. 363 of 23

December 1994 that regulates the procedure of the inscription of a youth

with a disability at school;

Ministerial Decree no. 330/97 that introduced a kind of school certification that can be used for a student to

pursue his/her education or career;

Amendment Act no. 17/99 that requires universities to provide for a lecturer to support and coordinate all

activities related to the integration of people with disabilities within the university, and to provide support

services;

Law 328/2000 that defines the integrated system of interventions and social services, and according to which

parents, local health services and social services agree upon an individualized life programme for their children,

aimed at full integration ‘within the family and social life’;

Law 53/2003 that defines the essential levels of provision in education and training and adapting school

buildings and equipment;

Presidential Decree of 19.5.2006 that states that the medical commission appointed to issue a

statement/certificate of disability has to refer to the international indicators listed by the WHO ICD-10;

Presidential Decree no. 81 of 2009

Law no. 170 of 2010 on “New norms concerning learning disabilities in schools” that recognizes these problems

and encourages schools to identify them early on and defines the strategies and stages of diagnosis and

education through the use of compensatory measures;

Presidential Decree of 4 October 2013 on the Adoption of biannual action program for advancement of the

rights and integration of persons with disabilities. (

From constitutional rights to further claims

presents a

comprehensive overview of all disability-related legislation in Italy.)

However, recent severe cuts to welfare resources have negatively affected the implementation of Italy’s inclusive

education policy. The 2008 reform of the education system, based on the “Decree-Law regarding Urgent Provisions on

Education and University”, decreased the budget and staff resources. The outcome was a serious reduction in the

number and quality of education services, including a decrease in the number of hours of support offered to individual

students with disabilities and the overall number of support teachers.