International Day of Persons with Disabilities and awarding of the Impuls Scholarships
On the date December 9, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) celebrated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and the awarding of the impulse scholarships in the Auditorium of the Chancellor Building.
The event was presented and chaired by Esther Zapater, the secretary general of the UAB and Maria Prats, director of the Observatory for Gender Equality. During this event, the round table “L’art amb i per a tothom” (art with and for everyone) took place, inside the Artistic and Inclusive Week framework. Professionals from the artistic field, with experience in the inclusion of persons with disabilities, participated in this occasion. The round table, moderated by Josep Maria Sanahuja, was formed by: Anna Matamala, from the UAB’s Transmedia group; Teresa González, head of the educational department of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya; Sònia Camacho, manager of the educational and social programme of the National Theatre of Catalonia; Clàudia Torner, coordinator of the social programme Apropa Cultura; Mercè Luz, head of the culture and leisure department of the ONCE Foundation; and Adrián Rincón, orchestra conductor at the Catalonia College of Music (ESMUC).
In the course of the event, the commitment of the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona with the equality of opportunities for people with disabilities was in the spotlight. This commitment is carried out through the Second Action Plan for Disabilities and Inclusion, which develops initiatives that can guarantee the equality of opportunities. Moreover, another reflection took place: how can we make our society more involved with inclusivity? Sanahuja ended the round table by sharing some final conclusions and future challenges, among them: to achieve the visibility of the different realities in art, to highlight the importance of establishing a definition of what the active participation of people with disabilities in the programming of shows is; and the necessity of including an inclusive perspective in education and research.
The awarding of the Impulso scholarships took place afterwards, under the care of Jordi Prat, director of the Fundación Autónoma Solidaria; along with Tania Nadal,Vice-President of the Social Council of the UAB and Anabel Galán, Vice-Chancellor of the Student Body and Employability Committee of the UAB. 10 students were awarded with these scholarships which represent the support to the education of students with disabilities and reduced mobility. These scholarships are possible thanks to the funding of the UAB’s Social Council. Their principal aim is to guarantee equal terms on the access to higher education for people with disabilities so that, once they are done with their studies, they can enter the labour market. You can check the call resolution of this year through this link.
The event ended with the piano performance and voice acting by Adrián Rincón and Lolly Ayuma.