The National Upper Secondary School for  students with Physical Disabillities. 

The students have access to all local upper secondary schools in Umeå, but most of them study at Dragonskolan, a school with about 2200 students. They may choose any educational programme offered and each student follows an individual course of study adapted to the student´s interests, capacity and needs. Five specialist teachers and a careers officer give support and advice to students as well as teachers.

More than 50% of the students are to some extent integrated in classes with able-bodied students, the rest study in special units where both curriculum, teaching materials and rate of studies are adapted to the student´s capacity and needs. Most students need one or two extra years to complete their studies.

The students also have access to a rehabilitation team, housed at Dragonskolan. This team consists of welfare officers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and a psychologist. They work with the students both at school and at home, both in groups and individually.

As the students come from the whole of Sweden they are offered well-adapted accommodation with support service 24 hours a day. They live in apartments in four different buildings, all located in the city centre. Thanks to the central location of these apartments there are ample opportunities for the students to participate in Umeå´s recreational and cultural activities.

The secondary school for disabled students works together with a number of local and regional partners. A brief description of three of them follows:
The Special Education Centre in Umeå (Kunskapscentrum Norr), a regional centre which among other things arranges courses for teachers and classroom assistents in order to improve their professional knowledge of disabilities.

The Computer Resource Centre Norr(Dataresurscentrum Norr), a regional centre which offers advice and supporting services regarding the adaptation of computer-based aids for use both at school and at home. It provides the users, their families, assistents and teachers with instruction in how to use the aids. The centre also participates in equipping and adapting the working environment to make it suitable for physically disabled people.

Before a student leaves school contact is taken with the regional Labour Market Resource Centre for Disabled People (AMI-rh) whose main goal is to make it easier for disabled people to find, get and keep a job. The centre has the special resources and expertise needed for the rehabilitation of people with restricted mobility. Physiotherapists, physicians, psychologists, occupational therapists and vocational guidance officers are on the staff. The centre also co-operates closely with the Swedish Labour Market Board , institutes for vocational training and job centres among others.

The National Upper Secondary Schools for Physically Disabled Students and the different recource centres work together to obtain the main goal for their mission as stated by the Swedish Parliament and Government: Children and teenagers with disabilities have the same right to personal development and education as others in society.

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