| Integration at the School Centre Ungargasse |
The history of this school began in 1945: its purpose was to offer war invalids training to enable them to enter working life. Initially young physically handicapped students attended the classes; eventually 'non-handicapped' students were incorporated. This system of 'reverse integration' (physically handicapped students are given preference above 'non-handicapped' ones) has led to the fact that today about 850 students have the chance to receive an extensive technical or commercial education. Out of these 850 students approximately 280 are physically, visually or acoustically impaired: persons in wheelchairs, persons who have difficulty in walking, epileptics, students with developmental disturbances, students who are visually or acoustically impaired, and others.
As a rule students begin at the age of 14 or 15 technical or commercial courses lasting three, four or five years. Both options, technical or commercial, are part of the so-called Vocational Training School System. After graduation the students have acquired a qualification which enables them to enter the working world. After the Matura (final exam, 5 years later) the students are qualified in the field of engineering or management and they can attend a university, which nearly half of them do.
This model of school integration prevents the isolation of disabled students. Friendships between handicapped students and 'non-handicapped' students can develop naturally and do so. In the same way a kind of subculture, for example among acoustically impaired students, can be established. There is rarely a handicapped student who is left alone with his/her problems, doubtlessly created by the contact with 'non-handicapped' students.
There are no special curricula! Competitiveness and the chance to work together with healthy students enables the handicapped students to keep up with the so-called 'normal' level you find in comparable schools. In order to avoid 'wild integration', in which necessary help is neglected, a number of regulations and conditions have to be adhered to. It goes without saying that this sytem of integration is only possible in a school concentrating on disabled students, not only because of financial reasons. |
| Facts |
- Each room of our school, built in 1987, has been planned to the last detail to cope with the needs of handicapped students without exposing the basic idea of integration, hence avoiding costly extra solutions.
- Several physiotherapists work in their own area devoted to therapy, which includes a large swimming-pool. Apart from the school doctor, there are three specialists (orthopaedics, neurology, ENT) who are regularly present.
- A boarding school, accommodating about 75 students and which is connected to the main school, makes it possible for handicapped students from the whole of Austria to attend the School Centre Ungargasse.
- Contrary to other schools (36 students and more) there are 24 students maximum in our classes.
- Class division in the main subjects and team-teaching, respectively, enable individual attention for each student.
- Each handicapped student can receive free tuition from his/her teachers to balance weaknesses caused by his/her disability.
- In some cases there are support teachers, who work at schools for the deaf, to see to the special needs of our handicapped students.
- A team of teachers devote themselves to looking after the disabled students on top of their regular teaching obligations.
- A one-year orientation course should prepare handicapped students for further training at our School Centre.
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