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Inclusive education has emerged as a global priority, and the integration of assistive technology (AT) is recognized as a crucial component for creating inclusive educational environments. However, the successful implementation of AT hinges on supportive policies and initiatives. This article delves into the experience of the GLIC Association in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Education, exploring their efforts in developing policies and initiatives to facilitate the introduction of AT in educational contexts. The GLIC Association has devised a service provisioning model in state schools that ensures adequate support for the integration of AT, thus promoting inclusive education.

Background: The association between Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) and obesity (Ob) is no longer unexpected due to unhealthy lifestyle mostly in adolescents. We compared clinical-biochemical characteristics, adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD), lifestyle habits and physical fitness across different weight categories of T1DM adolescents from Campania Region. As second aim, we assessed the relationship among lifestyle and physical fitness in these patients., Methods: 74 adolescents (35M; 39F; 13-18 y), with T1DM diagnosed at least 6 mo before the study, were enrolled at the Regional Center for Pediatric Diabetology of Vanvitelli University of Naples. Height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), BMI z-score, and Clinical Biochemical health-related parameters were determined. MD adherence, physical activity (PA) amount and sedentary habits were assessed by questionnaires. Handgrip strength, 2-Min Step test (2-MST) cardiorespiratory endurance and Timed up and go test (TUG) for agility and balance were used for physical fitness evaluation., Results: Our sample included 22 normal weight (NW), 37 overweight (OW) and 15 with Obese (Ob) adolescents. Across the three groups, adolescents showed similar Clinical-Biochemical parameters, MD adherence, PA amount, mostly walking (9.3 h/w), daily video exposure (8.5 h/d) and similar handgrip or 2-MST performance. Better performance was observed in NW compared to OW or Ob for TUG (7 vs 8 vs 9 s; p < 0.05). A positive correlation was found between TUG test and BMI, while no correlation was found between HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin) and BMI z score or 2-MST., Conclusions: T1DM adolescents did not meet the recommendations for active lifestyle, despite a medium/good adherence to MD, in particular in NW and OW youths. Sedentary habits correlated with a poor HbA1c. Further, reduced agility and balance were observed in adolescents with obesity compared to NW participants.Future research should be aimed to examine wider samples and to design health promotion interventions for T1DM adolescents., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)