News Details

The National Institute for Rehabilitation, I.P. (INR, I.P.), as part of the National Strategy for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (ENIPD 2021-2025), continues to hold a set of forums at national level to promote discussion on non-institutionalisation strategies and measures. In 2025, the theme of the forums focuses on Independent Living and the role that personal assistance plays in the working life of persons with disabilities, seeking to involve and gather the perspectives of recipients of personal assistance, municipalities, employers, schools and universities.

The 3rd Forum, entitled "Independent Life: Personal Assistance in Active Life – Formal Education’ took place on 9 September at 2.30 p.m. in Santo Tirso, in the auditorium of the Santo Thyrso Factory. With a focus on formal education, this initiative sought to stimulate dialogue and the sharing of experiences and perspectives between the different actors in the dynamics of the context of formal education, involving the Municipality of Santo Tirso, the NGOPD AADVDB - Association for the Support of the Visually Impaired of the District of Braga and Pais em Rede Association, as well as the educational institution Instituto Nun'Alvres.

The opening of the event was held by Rui Santos, Head of the Social Action Division of the Municipality of Santo Tirso. The panel of speakers was attended by Domingos Pereira da Silva – President of the Association for the Support of the Visually Impaired in the District of Braga, Sérgio Vicente – Vice-President of the Pais em Rede Association, Virginia Fonseca – Coordinator of Vocational Education at the Nun'Alvres Institute, Sara Freitas – Class Director of a student with personal assistance at the Nun'Alvres Institute, Maria Leonor Couto – Recipient of CAVI of the Pais em Rede Association and Joana Silva – Personal Assistant of CAVI of the same association.

This forum focused on the role of the Support Model for Independent Living as an enabler of autonomy in the school context and on the opportunities and advantages that social assistance can provide to persons with disabilities in accessing and implementing the fundamental right to Education, which is identified as a factor in promoting greater inclusion in society.

It was highlighted the work that the Municipality of Santo Tirso has been developing in the area of disability, with a special focus on promoting the social and professional inclusion of people with disabilities. Among the actions highlighted by Rui Santos, is the Inclusion Desk, which provides personalized support and appropriate referral to the needs of people with disabilities, with direct involvement of the Social Network of the Municipality. From the concerted work of this Network came the “Employ me” project, which promotes work placements in local companies for people with disabilities. Participating entities are awarded Bronze, Silver or Gold Stamps, depending on the level of inclusion provided.

Two innovative projects, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Programme (RRP), are also highlighted, which reinforce this commitment of the Municipality: a mobile snoezelen room, adapted in a van, which takes sensory stimuli to the institutions, avoiding that users have to move from the institutions to enjoy this type of therapeutic intervention; and an initiative that uses virtual reality technology, through the use of virtual reality glasses, providing immersive and meaningful experiences to participants, such as virtual visits to the Shrine of Fatima, promoting interaction and the well-being of users, and enhancing their social inclusion. Such actions reflect the commitment of the Municipality to a more inclusive, accessible and cohesive society.

Representatives of CAVI (Centres for Supporting Independent Living) highlighted that personal assistance has been a key tool for the autonomy of persons with disabilities in the context of formal education, allowing them to participate in school and social activities in a more active and integrated way, and specific cases were presented of students who, with personalised support and the use of personal assistance, were able to overcome barriers and develop academic and social skills.

At the event, it was evidenced that the legislative amendment to the MAVI (Model of Support for Independent Life) allowed it to be implemented in primary and secondary schools, similar to what was already happening in Higher Education. This change was seen as strategic as it represents an opportunity to ensure that pupils with disabilities can fully exercise their human rights through active and inclusive education. It was stressed that the student is never the obstacle to inclusion, but rather the educational context that must be adapted to their needs. To this end, it is necessary to develop specific active learning programmes, with adjusted methods and processes, that allow the learner, through their active participation, to build tools to overcome challenges throughout their life.

From the perspective of the representatives of the educational institution, the presence of students with specific needs in formal education should be seen as an opportunity to transform the school into a truly inclusive space, where adapted pedagogical practices are promoted and barriers to the learning process are removed. In this context, the school has established a strategic partnership with the Centre for Support to Independent Living (CAVI) and with the families of the students, which has allowed the integration of the figure of the personal assistant in the daily school life, contributing to an educational response more adjusted to individual needs.

The personal assistant described the initial challenges of her performance in formal education, namely the management of time between several students and the need to develop differentiated strategies, based on the characteristics of each student. He also pointed out that he quickly realized that the type of support that students needed required a more flexible and collaborative approach, going through the development of multiple strategies, with the involvement of the entire educational team. Despite the difficulties, the experience proved to be gratifying, having been observed a significant evolution in the accompanied students.

The role of the personal assistant in the context of internship in the workplace was also addressed, where there were additional challenges, such as complying with rules in the work environment, defining tasks and developing autonomy when travelling. The presence of the personal assistant was considered essential to ensure that pupils with specific needs could participate on equal terms in real-life training activities.

The class director of one of the students who benefits from personal assistance in the school context said that the presence of the personal assistant contributed significantly to alleviate the emotional and organizational burden of the elements of the educational community, while promoting the development of student autonomy, an evolution that is recognized and valued by the family.

The student receiving personal assistance shared that, with the support received, she started to participate more actively in school and social activities, feeling more integrated and confident.

The representative of the Nun'Alvres Institute highlighted that, for the next school year, priority areas for improvement were identified, namely the prior scheduling of activities and meetings with the personal assistant, the more effective provision of digital resources and the improvement of communication between school, families and personal assistant. It was defended the need to give greater autonomy to personal assistants in decision-making, always in articulation with the other actors.

In this forum, it was concluded that effective inclusion requires the creation of specific and adapted tools, co-created by multidisciplinary teams. The importance of co-creation spaces and effective communication between schools, families, local authorities and companies was underlined, especially in the context of work-based training. The reported experience was considered very positive, pointing to the importance of a collaborative and student-centred approach, with all actors articulated and aligned in building a truly inclusive school.

The forum was closed by Sónia Esperto – President of the National Institute for Rehabilitation, IP.

The next forum will be on the theme "Independent Life: Personal Assistance in Active Life – Higher Education” and will take place on 9 October, in face-to-face format, involving the municipality of Coimbra.