Deaf and Blind Students in Italian Universities
Ilaria Giallini
This paper examines the situation of visually and hearing impaired students in Italian universities within the broader shift from a medical-assistance model of disability to a bio-psycho-social and rights-based paradigm, as established by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Higher education is presented as a key context for understanding the gap between formal access and substantive participation, highlighting the limits of inclusion policies based solely on standardized support services. Drawing on national and international legislation, ANVUR data, and qualitative findings from studies conducted at Italian universities, the article documents a steady increase in the number of students with disabilities, alongside persistent inequalities, fragmented data systems, and interpretative risks—particularly regarding the statistical aggregation of students with disabilities and those with specific learning disorders. The analysis focuses on support services, university counselling, and students’ lived experiences, revealing structural, relational, and cultural barriers that constrain autonomy, participation, and freedom of choice. Deaf students emphasize the centrality of sign language interpreting, while blind students report limited access to learning materials and implicit restrictions in study options. The paper concludes by adopting Sen’s capability approach, arguing that genuine inclusion requires not only access to higher education but also the effective expansion of students’ opportunities to participate, succeed, and actively shape their academic and professional trajectories.
Keywords
Sensory disability, Higher education, Inclusion, Accessibility, Capability approach.
