Vulnerable Groups

The term socially vulnerable groups or vulnerable groups or high risk groups refers to people who "have limited or have no access to social and public goods and are facing difficulties in many parts of their life such as housing, work, income, education, health care, social security. They might be homeless, unemployed, people with disabilities, people that suffer from serious mental and physical illnesses and disabilities, prisoners, drug users and ex- users, HIV-positive, religious or cultural minorities, single-parent families, young delinquents, abused women, trafficking victims, immigrants, people with learning difficulties as well as people affected by natural disasters and extreme natural phenomena".

Also, according to law Νο 4019/2011 (Government Gazette 216 A ') for the "Social Economy and Social Entrepreneurship", socially vulnerable groups are considered the social groups of population whose actions in social and economic life is difficult, maybe due to social and financial problems or physical or mental disorders, or due to unforeseen events, which affect the proper functioning of the local and wider regional economy".

The socially vulnerable groups, in many cases face difficulties to fully integrate into the educational community and then into the labor participation while the term is connected in many cases with "social exclusion".

For this reason, the Accessibility and Social Support Unit of the University of Ioannina undertakes the support in:

Psychosocial level

At the psychosocial level, the Accessibility and Social Support Unit, consisting of experienced scientific staff, records the needs of students and in collaboration with the Counseling Center of the University of Ioannina, as well as with other services of UOI concerning in:

• psychological support associated with developmental and personal issues and / or adjustment problems
• the support of students with special educational needs, disabilities and learning difficulties.

The whole procedure respects the confidentiality and runs independently of other academic services

Financial level

At the assembly no 1028/37 / 3-3-2016 of the Senate, a Student Disability Board was voted, chaired by one of the Vice-Rectors, in order to support and to set proper acting ways for students of University of Ioannina, with disabilities. Each Educational Department of the Institution is represented in that Committee by a specific member as Professor Advisor. The Tutor Professor is a member of the Teaching and Research Staff of the Institution. Students with disabilities can contact him for specific issues related to their studies so to be helped. The Tutor Professor is one that connects students with disabilities with the entire Teaching Staff as well as with the University Departments. The Social Support and Accessibility Unit supports the Student Disability Board for the effective fulfillment of its purpose.