Inclusive social networks and inclusive schools for disabled children of migrant families

This research project (carried out between March 2008 and November 2010) aims to investigate the relationship between migrant disabled students and the Italian school system. It was commissioned by the City of Bologna – Department of Education and Anti-discrimination Policies – which aimed to adopt guidelines and tools to facilitate the inclusion of migrant disabled students aged 0–14. The scale of the migratory phenomenon and impact on the education and health systems of the host countries have given rise to new organizational, social and cultural problems; schools and education services play a key role in facilitating the process of inclusion, not only by offering appropriate responses to the cultural transformations, but also by fostering cultural exchange and dialogue among youths and educating them on global coexistence. Schools are the best environments for meeting the needs of families by making them feel welcome; this is confirmed by teachers themselves, who however seek greater support from local services, also in terms of the involvement and participation of migrant families (with the presence of cultural mediators). Here, we focus on: a presentation of the concluding stages of the research, educational commitments and a summary of the research team’s draft guidelines aimed at increasing the quality of the processes of inclusion of disabled children of migrant families.