This podcast, produced by the University of Poitiers, highlights a reality that is still too often overlooked: invisible disabilities. Mental health disorders, chronic illnesses, neurodevelopmental conditions… all situations that are not visible, yet deeply impact students’ daily lives.

(IN)VISIBLES gives a voice to those who live with these realities every day. Through sincere and committed testimonies, students supported by the Student Disability Service share their journeys, their challenges, but also their successes and the solutions that help them move forward in their studies.

Higher education and disability: it is possible! Thanks to appropriate accommodations and the support provided by the Student Disability Service (SHE), each student can build their academic path under the best possible conditions.

Find all the podcasts on this page:
https://she.univ-poitiers.fr/podcast-invisibles-changeons-notre-regard-sur-le-handicap/

If you have difficulties, specific needs, or would like to contact us, please reach out here: accueil.handicap@univ-poitiers.fr

Throughout the year, the disability department takes part in awareness-raising or information events on the issue of disability. 

Some examples:

The University Disability Week: Every two years, the University of Poitiers organizes a week dedicated to inclusion and disability, featuring various awareness activities, information sessions, performances, and workshops, with the aim of sharing meaningful moments and contributing to an ever more accessible and inclusive university.

“Les Accessifs” Festival: proposed by the city of Poitiers, the festival takes place every two years. It is a week of activities for all around disability (shows, workshops, sports practices and meetings, exhibitions and conferences). This festival offers opportunities to bring together all publics, young people, adults or seniors, disabled or able-bodied. This contributes to “fight against clichés and stereotypes by showing what we can do together“.

Presence with a stand during the Open House Day, student fairs, etc.

 Participation in actions within the University of Poitiers: 

• Health & Safety days at the Poitiers IUT: participation of the SHE in these days. Awareness-raising of approximately 400 new students
• Disability Week in Literature and Languages
• Raising awareness of HandiSport in FSS
• Information meetings within the components on the functioning and missions of the SHE
• Co-animation of a training on inclusive pedagogy organised by the Pédagolab

The University of Poitiers has been committed for two years to a project for the inclusion of autistic students, a project called “Building an Aspie-Friendly University”.

Today, higher education is committed, on a national scale, to the inclusion of people with autism, often referred to as Aspies in popular culture and as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in academic literature. Their intellectual wealth as well as their innovative strength is an asset to our universities and to our society.

This project started in 2018 and will last for 10 years.

The aim of the project is to eventually offer an individualised pathway to each student with autism. The aim is, according to their personal characteristics, to :

• Build a transition project towards higher education
• Define the pedagogical adaptations necessary for their success
• Work on the way in which a student is supported beyond the sole educational framework
• Prepare for social and professional integration

This pathway is built with the participation of the student (the main actor at the heart of the system), the local “Aspie-Friendly” team and the educational team of the training concerned.

Some of the resources offered:

• A pedagogical meeting every Friday from 2pm to 4pm for teachers and staff of partner universities to answer questions on pedagogical adaptations. Hosted by Karine Aura-Rey (educational coordinator of the Aspie-Friendly team). Link to connect: https://univ-tlse3-fr.zoom.us/j/83951140910?pwd=R210NEd6bTNvRndNMGtNcVRBREhqZz09
• E-Café Asperger’s offered to Asperger’s students every Friday from 5.30 to 7pm. Link to connect: https://univ-tlse3-fr.zoom.us/s/93912088421
• Patrick Chambre’s presentation in 2018 at the University of Poitiers, during a conference organised by the SHE. To watch the conference again: https://uptv.univ-poitiers.fr/program/mieux-comprendre-le-syndrome-d-asperger-et-ses-enjeux-en-situation-d-etude/video/49434/mieux-comprendre-le-syndrome-d-asperger-formation-et-accompagnement-des-personnels-partie-1-3/index.html
• National Aspie-Friendly website (information, training, videos, presentations): https://aspie-friendly.fr/

The PHARES programme (Beyond Disability, Advancing and Succeeding in Higher Education) is a student tutoring scheme for disabled secondary school students.

It was initiated by ESSEC and MAIF in 2008.

The support is based on weekly and collective student tutoring for young people with disabilities who attend ordinary schools from the third to the final year of secondary school.

The tutors work in pairs with groups of 5 to 6 young people in fun and friendly workshops during which they develop their strengths and cross-cutting skills such as self-confidence, autonomy and the ability to organise their work.

This also allows them to discover the university environment, to remove prejudices and apprehensions, in order to encourage secondary school students to enrol in higher education.

The Phares workshops have existed in Poitiers for several years and are offered by the HandiSup association.

In 2020, the SHE organised the deployment of the programme on the Niort campus, in co-sponsorship with the HandiSup association.

For this deployment, a partnership was created with the IPHD master’s degree (Inclusion and Participation – Disability, Difficulties, Dependency), based at the Niort university centre.

This project ended in 2023.