Parliamentary Commission Approves Disability Report
Only 40 percent of school buildings are accessible to students with motor disabilities, dropping as low as 29 percent in Liguria, according to a report approved on November 3 by the Parliamentary Commission for Childhood and Adolescence. The inquiry focuses on autism and brain injuries, contrasting the physical shortcomings of public infrastructure against legislative efforts to streamline early diagnoses and rehabilitation.
The commission’s concluding document calls for strict maximum waiting times for diagnostic evaluations and the immediate launch of therapeutic pathways. Lawmakers recommend establishing a national information system dedicated to developmental age, mirroring existing structures for adult mental health. To bridge regional disparities between the country’s center-north and south, the report urges the deployment of more qualified professionals and tighter integration between public and private healthcare services.
Specialized Support Teachers Face High Turnover Rates
Support teachers in schools increased by 6 percent and autonomy assistants by 7 percent for the 2024-2025 academic year, with specialized instructors reaching 78 percent of the total. Despite these staffing gains, 59.7 percent of disabled students experienced a change of support teacher either prior to the term, during classes, or through multiple reassignments across the school year.
The survey also highlights severe daily shortcomings, noting that 1.2 percent of disabled pupils required basic personal and hygienic assistance at school without receiving it. Commission President Michela Vittoria Brambilla criticized the reliance on differentiated educational pathways in high schools, which often conclude with a certificate rather than a standard diploma.
Senate Examines Family Caregiver Legislation
Lawmakers are pressing for the formal recognition of unpaid family members who provide daily care, awaiting the final approval of a dedicated bill that passed the Chamber of Deputies on October 14 and moved to the Senate. The Commission hopes for the definitive approval of the family caregiver bill, which was approved by the Chamber on October 14 and is now being examined by the Senate. The parliamentary document also demands a permanent increase in the Sport Assistance Fund to guarantee that children and teenagers with disabilities can access regular athletic activities, including a request to make the Sport Assistance Fund permanent and increase it while reserving a quota for the developmental age to encourage the participation of children and adolescents with disabilities in sports activities.
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