DISABILITY CARE IN SPANISH UNIVERSITIES: SERVICES AND INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES

Abstract

Spanish universities offer a Disability Care Service in order to provide support measures during their university stay and training for university professors to serve this group. This study describes the operation of these services and the institutional strategy for an inclusive framework. The methodology used consisted of a survey carried out among those responsible for these services in Spanish universities and the content analysis of the regulations and institutional inclusion plans. 36 universities (43% of the total) responded to the questionnaire, with a distribution of 64% public and 36% private. The results indicate that these services depend institutionally on the vice-chancellors' offices for students or those for social responsibility. Their communication and promotion strategies are similar. They begin their dissemination in pre-university educational stages, in institutes. Communication with students includes email, in-person and online meetings, as well as telephone contact. Most of the universities that were part of the study have an inclusion plan or regulations for attention to disabilities, with specific tutors for students with disabilities and awareness initiatives are promoted with the entire educational community. Universities in Spain show a commitment to providing personalized attention to these students, seeking their academic success and inclusion in the university environment, these services being key to an inclusive and accessible education. However, they need a more decisive commitment in terms of their personnel and their coordinating role with other strategic agents in the inclusion policy.