The Council of Rectors of the São Paulo State Universities (Cruesp) — Unicamp, USP (University of São Paulo) and Unesp (Paulista State University) — and the Government of the State of São Paulo signed, on Thursday morning (6), a protocol of intentions for the implementation and management of accessibility policies for people with disabilities.
According to the protocol, these policies will focus on the development of assistive technologies. The Institute for Technological Research (IPT) also participates in the project. In the state, there are approximately 3,4 million people with some type of disability, according to government data.
The protocol of intentions was signed by governor Tarcísio de Freitas, by state secretaries Marcos Costa (Rights of Persons with Disabilities) and Vahan Agopyan (Science, Technology and Innovation) and by the current president of Cruesp, the rector of Unesp, Pasqual Barreti, in addition by deans Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, from Unicamp, and Carlos Carlotti, from USP. The CEO, Liedi Bernucci, signed the IPT.
The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, celebrated the signing of the protocol and recalled the importance that public teaching and research institutions in São Paulo have for the state. “Our universities are our greatest assets. Mobilizing this large academic body to work together on the diversity agenda is very good. The result will certainly be positive”, stated the governor.
For the Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation of the State of São Paulo, Vahan Agopyan, the protocol is a milestone. “State universities in São Paulo are concerned about society and are working towards inclusion. We should be happy with that,” he explained.
“USP, Unesp, Unicamp and IPT are actively participating in the creation of public policies. Furthermore, we will create even more technologies for people with disabilities, an initiative already developed by our units such as the Polytechnic School, for example. We have everything to make the state of São Paulo a hub for this type of knowledge”, celebrated the dean of USP, Carlos Carlotti.
“The rapid inclusion of people with disabilities is a challenge in which we can collaborate both through the development of technologies and protocols and through the formulation of appropriate public policies”, says the rector of Unicamp, Antonio Meirelles. “We must remember our tradition in training teachers and developing techniques for Paralympic sport, being the first Brazilian university with a department dedicated to physical activity adapted for people with disabilities”, he added.
“On the other hand, we have the Accessibility Commission, associated with our Executive Directorate for Human Rights, which can play a prominent role in formulating public policies on this issue”, he argues. The rector also noted that “Unicamp develops the Autism Spectrum Disorders Care Program (Pratea), which focuses on training professionals in the areas of education, health and social assistance to detect those affected and carry out appropriate therapeutic interventions”.
Autism
The initiative to sign the protocol of intentions took place during the “Autism Awareness” event, promoted by the State Secretariat for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in the context of Autism Awareness Week.
To remember the date, the São Paulo government launched the Integrated State Plan, which aims to align, articulate and expand care services for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout the state. The estimate is that around 460 thousand people will be served.
The actions will be developed based on the work of a Steering Committee made up of representatives from the Secretariats for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Health, Education and Social Development. The idea is that the departments work together, in their respective areas, to implement public policies and implement care for this group.
One of the actions of the Plan, which will be coordinated by the State Secretariat for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, involves the issuance, free of charge throughout the state, of the Identification Card for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Ciptea), known as 'RG of the autistic'.
The document facilitates the identification of people with ASD and their guardians, providing faster access to public health, education and social assistance services. To obtain special identification, the interested party must access the Ciptea portal.
