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This article considers special education in Italy, inclusive education in particular. If you want to study in Italy, but your disabilities prevent you from this, don’t worry - Italian system of education provides all the necessary conditions for disabled students as well.

Yes, wheelchair accessibility is not found everywhere in Italy, but people help, you know. Don’t fail to miss a great opportunity to study in Italy only because of your fears. You have to find some people for your personal assistance and pushing your wheelchair.

When you get to Italian school, you’ll find labor intensive wheelchair accessibility. The school stuff is always ready to help you if there is a need to carry you. You’ll see that soon your Italian will be improving only.

In 1960s Italian disabled students were first integrated into the school system. During the 1970s such integration policy became a national one. In Italy this integration is still in progress. There are students who have severe disabilities. When comparing Italian and American educational systems and principles, there are of course some differences found. Italian national policy is taken for granted. It is absolutely unfamiliar for Italians to hear that pupils with disabilities could be segregated, as they are in the States. Italians consider that children should belong together. Italian parents don’t have to undergo court proceedings, so that their children with disabilities could get into integrated classes.

Another peculiar feature of Italian education is the role of Italian arts and history. These subjects are integrated into everyday curriculum. Italians are proud of their culture, which is world-known, one of the richest, if not the richest on the Earth. Even pupils studying according to simplified modified curricula learn about famous Italian artists. Teachers use adapted materials; and even in preschools Italian children are surrounded by the fine artwork. Aesthetics is another obligatory subject.

Inclusive education involves all the teachers in the class, there is also a special education teacher to support pupils.

Those who are planning to study in Italy and are interested in Biomedical Engineering as their major should know some facts considering this subject. It was 1968 when biomedical engineering became taught in Italian higher institutions. The University of Padova taught Biomedical Electronics; the University of Naples – Bio-energetic; the Polytechnic of Milan started the course of Biological Electronics. Time passed, there were many changes, developments and innovations, and today educational courses and programs are various and numerous. Many Italian universities offer Biomedical Engineering as a major.

For the first time post-graduate courses were established in Italy in 1971-1972, the University of Naples taught Biomedical instrumentation for post-graduates then. The first time Italian students could earn the degree of Bioengineering PhD was in 1982. Various Italian universities made a consortium. Its administrative headquarters were situated in Bologna and Milan.

Since the year of 2000 about 19 Italian Universities teach Biomedical Engineering. The number of courses for undergraduates is 150. They are available in many universities throughout the country: Ancona, Brescia, Firenze, Milano, Napoli, Pavia, Roma, Torino, Sassari, Bologna, Genova, Padova, Pisa, Siena and others.

Post-graduate and PhD courses in Bioengineering are not that numerous. They are available in only 9 Italian universities.

In 2001 the European Higher Education faced the reform. Italy adopted new educational system. Today getting the first level degree would take Italian students 3 years; then goes specialist degree (the second level) – the course lasts 2 years; then go Masters and the PhD degrees.

If you are planning to get the Italian degree of the first level in Biomedical Engineering you should search universities in Bologna, Milano, Padova, Pisa, Roma, Torino, Ancona, Genova, Napoli, Pavia and Trieste.