Abstract:

Primary and secondary education have successfully progressed in the adoption of initiatives making education more inclusive for students with disabilities. However, in tertiary education levels (i.e. universities) this seems to be less developed. The gap becomes especially relevant for the case of students with intellectual disabilities or mental health-related impairments. As a measure of importance, Spanish statistics estimate that 2% of the population have some sort of disability and, 9% of them have a recognized intellectual disability (disability of 33% or more, to be recognized). That segment of the population barely reaches and/or succeed in tertiary education.

The University of Barcelona, within the Faculty of Psychology, offers a 1-year program (50 European University Credits, ECTS) to incorporate intellectually disable students to the university life. The course is financed by the Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE) with the support of European Funds. It is addressed to young students, between 18 and 30 years, with a recognized intellectual disability of 33% or more. The main objective is to provide these students an official university title to improve their employability. But also, it aims to involve them within the university environment, to empower them and raise their autonomy, both personal and professional. The course provides not only specific competences (basic legal processes, basic economic procedures, new technologies, English or entrepreneurship, among others) but they go in tandem with transversal capabilities for the daily life (emotional management, social interaction, personal development and the like). For that variety of contents, teachers from 8 different Faculties at the University of Barcelona are involved. Different courses do not overlap; they are scheduled in a sequential manner to ease the learning process. Each course takes, approximately, 15 teaching hours.

The program is already in the 4th edition and it counts with 45 graduates. Generally, a group of 10-15 students per year take part of the program. Not only most of them have successfully incorporated to different job positions but, also, there are cases of entrepreneurial activities where they developed their own businesses. In that vein, the specific course of entrepreneurship offers some sessions where entrepreneurs come to present their businesses to the students. These examples present the students the process of starting a business with a can-do spirit that encourages them.

Keywords:

Inclusive learning, intellectual disability, university education, inclusive entrepreneurship.