Program Page
Learn about Study Abroad in Argentina: Buenos Aires & Patagonia.
Attitudinal
Argentinians are gradually becoming aware of the needs of people with disabilities. This growing awareness is slowly being seen in the development of public policies aimed towards equity, however, the city of Buenos Aires is not well accessible for individuals with mobility disabilities. Argentinians in general are very helpful. A lot of improvements have been made in the past decade. Many companies are hiring employees with disabilities, and new buildings and transportation are taking into consideration the needs of the disabled.
In the past, participation on this program have included students with learning disabilities, psychiatric conditions such as depression and bipolarity, and students with illnesses such as lupus, diabetes, celiac condition, and heart condition. Appointments with doctors have been offered to the students, and their cases have been closely followed by the staff. Special environments for exams, modified deadlines, and extra tutoring are available to students with these needs. However, the program is most concerned about students with severe mobility disabilities (those needing wheelchairs) or severe visual impairment due to the lack of apartments or homestays that can accommodate a wheelchair and the lack of available Braille material.
Classrooms and Academics
A disability services office is available to students in Spanish. This public service is free.
Students are typically in class 5–6 hours per day or 24–27 hours per week. Out of class hours are 2–4 hours a week per course, except Spanish (6–8 hours per week). Students are expected to learn class material from textbooks, teachers’ booklets, lectures, readings, video, and independent research. Assessment varies according to the course. For English taught courses there are papers, midterms, and presentations; for Spanish courses, assessment is based on adequate participation, homework, tests, and oral presentations. Homework is typically completed by computer and handwritten.
Classroom accommodations available to students include note takers, recorded lectures, separate room to take exams, extra time to complete exams, and sign language interpreters (extra cost). Service dogs are allowed in the classroom.
Excursions and Field Trips
The only mandatory excursions are visits to museums for the art course. If needed, transportation could be provided. Most museums have access for individuals with disabilities. All other trips for this program involve transportation by bus and not much walking is needed.
Housing and Food Services
This program offers two different housing options for summer, winter, and semester programs: homestay and apartment. The Learning Abroad Center and onsite staff will work with students individually to determine which housing type(s) can best accommodate the students needs and desired housing situation. It is hard to provide more details before meeting with students, but there are a few additional considerations:
- Host families: families are unlikely to have wheelchair accessible accommodations but can often accommodate many other student needs.
- Apart-hotel it is not possible to guarantee a fully accessible shared apartment nor individual rooms. Kitchen facilities are provided in each apartment, however, they are not designed to specifically accommodate individuals with disabilities.
Technology
Wifi is available at the Program Center. Computer labs are available and wheelchair accessible. The internet is available to students. Updated Braille material is very limited.
Disability Services
There is not a disability services office on site, however, there is a Program Director that assists students with disabilities.
Transportation
Public transportation in Buenos Aires is in the form of city buses and the subway (Subte). Distance to and from classes will vary depending on the housing option. Most subway stations (but not all) are wheelchair accessible via elevators. Many buses are wheelchair accessible and all bus timetables will indicate which buses are wheelchair accessible.