School, from support teachers to architectural barriers the knots to be ironed out

In order to support services for independence and communication, the Ministry for Disability has enriched the structural fund for 2025 with an additional 60 million, bringing it to 260 million. Of these, 128 million are in favour of the regions for the strengthening of services in secondary schools and 132 million are allocated to the municipalities for pre-school, primary and secondary schools. An important signal, but not enough. In fact, Anci points out a coverage gap between the contribution in favour of the municipalities and the approximately 700 million euros that local administrations guarantee for the management of pupils with disabilities. The Regions ask for more appropriations adequate to the constant increase of pupils with disabilities.

In the promotion of the right to study, the creation of accessible places of education then plays a fundamental role. In this respect, Italy is still poorly inclusive. Only 41% of Italian schools are accessible to pupils with motor disabilities, despite the fact that more than a quarter of students have problems with autonomy. For the removal of architectural barriers, MIM has allocated over 18.6 million euros. The president of the Italian Federation for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Families, Vincenzo Falabella, emphasises, however, that the commitment 'cannot end with a one-off intervention: a structural, long-term and monitorable plan is needed, actively involving local authorities, schools and associations representing persons with disabilities and their families'.

Not least because the latest data released by Cittadinanzattiva on safety in schools, updated for 2023/2024 and 2024/2025, indicate that only 41% of schools are barrier-free. That is to say, less than one in every two. Among the most recurring problems are the absence of lifts or the presence of unsuitable lifts (this is the case in 50% of cases), the lack of stairlifts (37%), non-standard toilets (26%) and internal ramps to overcome height differences (25%). And as far as hearing and visual disabilities are concerned, it gets even worse. Suffice it to say that sense-perception solutions are almost non-existent: only 17% of schools are equipped with visual signs for students with deafness or hearing impairment, and only 1% of buildings have tactile routes or relief maps for the blind.

Also new this year is the establishment of a 70 million euro mobility fund. A functioning school transport is in fact a prerequisite for inclusion and gives a greater guarantee of autonomy and integration. The resources come from the single fund for the inclusion of persons with disabilities and are allocated to the regions. These meanwhile move with their own initiatives. Piedmont, for example, has made 10 million available for schools: 5 for transport and 5 for autonomy and school assistance. Sardinia has offered financial coverage of 1.4 million for the transport of disabled pupils in secondary schools, while Friuli Venezia Giulia has approved an allocation of more than 1 million euro for parochial schools. On the other hand, Emilia Romagna's intervention of 18 million euro is focused on school-to-work or school-to-university transition.