About the program

Brazil has approximately 17.3 million people with some kind of disability according to data from the National Health Survey – Base Year 2019 – from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, as portuguese abbreviation). With the aging of the Brazilian population, the expectation is that more and more people will need some type of qualification or rehabilitation through prostheses, orthoses and various health procedures. With the goal of preparing professionals focused on the care of this public, the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) created the Multiprofessional Residency Program in Health Care for People with Disabilities, pioneer in Brazil. 

The Program was approved through a public call from the Ministry of Education and is offered by the Center for Education and Research in Health Anita Garibaldi (Anita), one the units of the Santos Dumont Institute in Macaíba (RN). Since October 2016, by the Ministry of Health enabled Anita as a Specialized Center in Rehabilitation – CER III, in the areas of hearing, physical and intellectual impairment. At the beginning of August 2021, the Ministry of Health modified the qualification to CER IV, including care for the visually impaired. The change took place after the publication of Ordinance No. 1.842/2021. 

CER IV ISD’s actions are organized in the following clinics: Epilepsy (child and adult); Parkinson’s; Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Spinal cord injury (child and adult); Microcephaly; Hearing Impairment (child and adult); Prematurity and Neurogenic Bladder.

The ISD Residency Program is aimed at professionals of Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, Psychology and Social Work, bringing together the areas of teaching, research and extension in order to strengthen both the Care Network for People with Disabilities in the context of the Unified Health System ( SUS), and the National Plan for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – Living without Limits Plan. 

In addition, the Program includes the interface of joint action with the Postgraduate Program in Neuroengineering of the International Institute of Neurosciences Edmond and Lily Safra (IIN-ELS).