Information for Applicants of the Erasmus+ Programme
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO ERASMUS+ PARTICIPANTS (STUDENTS & STAFF) WITH PERSONAL PHYSICAL, MENTAL OR HEALTH-RELATED CONDITIONS
In the new Erasmus+ Programme 2021 – 2027 the term ‘Persons with Special Needs’ has been replaced by ‘Persons with Fewer Opportunities’ and falls under the generic definition of ‘Inclusion Support’.
The Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2023 (p. 68) defines a Person with Fewer Opportunities as:
“A person with fewer opportunities faces personal, physical, mental or health-related conditions that make participation in the project/mobility action not possible without extra financial or other support.”
Physical, mental and health-related conditions are further defined hereunder for ease of reference.
- PHYSICAL & MENTAL CONDITIONS / DISABILITY
CHAPTER 413 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES (PERSONS WITH DISABILITY) ACT of the Maltese Law defines DISABILTY as:
“A long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which in interaction with various barriers may hinder one’s full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”
The above definition also refers to persons with learning difficulties such as Dyslexia; Dysgraphia; Dyscalculia; Auditory processing disorder; Language processing disorder; Nonverbal learning disabilities; and Visual perceptual/visual motor deficit.
- HEALTH-RELATED CONDITIONS
Diseases and conditions are outlined in CHAPTER 318 SOCIAL SECURITY ACT 5TH SCHEDULE (ARTICLES 20 & 23) PART II of the Laws of Malta. These include:
1. Malignant Diseases
2. Cardiovascular Diseases: (a) Chronic Heart Failure (b) Hypertension (c) Ischaemic Heart Disease (d) Cardiac Arrhythmias (e) Peripheral Vascular Disease (f) Cerebrovascular disease (g) Genetic Dyslipidaemia
3. Respiratory Diseases: (a) Chronic Respiratory Failure (b) Cystic Fibrosis (c) Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (d) Chronic Asthma
4. Digestive system diseases: (a) Gastro – Oesophageal Reflux Disease (b) Gastric/Duodenal Ulcers
(c) Inflammatory Bowel Disease (d) Coeliac Disease (e) Diverticular Disease requiring Stoma Care (f) Hirschprung’s Disease (g) Imperforate Anus (h) Small Intestinal Failure
5. Liver diseases: (a) Chronic Liver Disease
6. Haematological Diseases: (a) Inherited Bleeding Disorders (b) Inherited Haemoglobinopathies
7. Nervous System Diseases: (a) Epilepsy (b) Parkinson’s Disease (c) Myasthenia Gravis (d) Multiple Sclerosis (e) Motor Neurone Disease (f) Trigeminal Neuralgia (g) Huntington’s Chorea (h) Dementia (i) Schizophrenia (j) Psychosis (k) Chronic Mood Disorders (l) Chronic Neurotic Disorders (m) Addiction Disorders (n) Chronic Psychiatric Disorders starting in Childhood (o) Chronic Eating Disorders (p) Cerebral Palsy (q) Narcolepsy (r) Spinal Cord Pathologies (s) Congenital Indifference to pain (t) Neuromyelitis Optica
8. Renal diseases: (a) Chronic Kidney Disease
9. Endocrine diseases: (a) Diabetes Mellitus (b) Addison’s Disease (c) Precocious Puberty (d) Hypoparathyroidism (e) Hypopituitarism (f) Hypogonadism (g) Enzyme Disorders (h) Endometriosis and Adenomyosis (i) Pituitary Adenomas
10. Skin diseases: (a) Psoriasis (b) Chronic Immunobullous Disorders (c) Congenital Ichthyosis
11. Infectious Diseases: (a) HIV/AIDS and HIV Related Diseases (b) Hepatitis B & C (c) Tuberculosis (d) Hospital Acquired Infections (e) Leprosy (f) Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome (g) Chronic Osteomyelitis
12. Rheumatic Diseases: (a) Rheumatoid Arthritis (b) Paget’s Disease (c) Lupus Erythematosus (d) Systemic Sclerosis (e) Dermatomyositis/Polymyositis (f) Polyartritis Nodosa (g) Seronegative Arthritis (h) Crystal Deposition Disease (i) Polymyalgia Rheumatica (j) Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (k) Fibromyalgia
13. Metabolic Disorders (a) Inborn Errors of Metabolism
14. Eye diseases: (a) Glaucoma (b) Vascular Disease of the Retina
15. Immunodeficiency: (a) Primary Immunodeficiency Disorder (b) Secondary Immunodeficiency Disorder
16. Chromosome Disorders: (a) Down Syndrome (b) Turner Syndrome (c) Prader-Willi Syndrome
17. Gender Identity and Sex Characteristics Related Conditions
18. Hidradenitis Suppurativa
19. Severe Refractory Atopic Dermatitis
20. Severe Chronic Urticaria
Participants (students and/or staff with fewer opportunities) can apply with their Institution / Organisation for additional grant support in order to cover the supplementary costs for their participation in the mobility activities. (The purchasing of regular medicines for medical conditions that fall under the 5th Schedule do not qualify for additional grant as these are normally given free of charge by the Maltese Health Authorities).
For participants with fewer opportunities, in particular those with physical, mental or health-related conditions, the grant support may therefore be higher than the maximum individual grant amounts set out below. Higher education institutions will describe on their website how students and staff with fewer opportunities can request and justify such additional grant support.
Accompanying persons for students and staff with fewer opportunities are entitled to receive a contribution based on real costs.
It is therefore in the interest of the participants, i.e. students and staff to declare their personal mental, physical, or health-related condition at application stage so that the applicant Institution / Organisation would know how much additional grant support would be required in preparation to make a formal request to the EUPA as the National Agency for Erasmus+.
Should a participant incur unforeseen extra costs during his or her mobility experience in another country, it is important that supporting documentation are presented to the Institution and then to the National Agency on their return to Malta. Requests may be referred to the Force Majeure Board to evaluate the case in question.