VIII institutional conference in commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities
The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona will hold the VIII Institutional Conference on 3 December 2025 on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The initiative, organised by the Equality and Diversity Service, will include various activities and is part of the institutional commitment to promote an inclusive academic community that is sensitive to the multiple realities linked to disability.
This year's edition will focus on the vindication and promotion of the rights linked to the mental health of people with disabilities, with the aim of generating a space for critical reflection and dissemination of care models that favour real progress in this area. The event will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Rector's Office Assembly Hall, with the opening of the Secretary General, Esther Zapater, who will contextualize the day within the framework of the UAB's strategic actions in the field of equality and diversity.
From 12:35 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., the conference "Universities that care: the QualityRights model in the academic community" will take place, by Magda Casamitjana i Aguilà. Adopted by many institutions and following the international recommendations of organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), this model aims to transform the practices of care for people with mental health problems and guarantee environments that place the person at the centre of the care process. It also addresses issues such as the need to guarantee active participation in decisions that affect them, to remove barriers to ensure universal access to services, as well as to protect the privacy and confidentiality of information related to mental health. The model also stresses the importance of promoting deinstitutionalisation and reinforcing rehabilitation and support in community environments capable of promoting inclusion, autonomy and integral development.
Next, Esther Zapater and the vice-rector for Students and Employability, Anabel Galán, will preside over the delivery of the Impulse Scholarships. These grants aim to make it easier for students with disabilities to access higher education and complete them in conditions of equity, helping to reduce structural inequalities that still limit access to and permanence in education. The scholarships can cover personal assistance services during the academic day and mobility expenses. In addition, they are an essential instrument for moving towards a university that guarantees complete training itineraries so that, once they have completed their studies, they enter the world of work in accordance with their abilities.
The day will close at 2:00 p.m. with the final intervention of the Secretary General and with the performance of the Community Choir in the Sala Teatre of the campus. This closing space, which combines culture and institutional reflection, aims to highlight the community dimension of the university and reinforce the idea that inclusion is also articulated through collective participation in artistic and social activities that enrich campus life.
From the Equality and Diversity Service we continue to work so that any member of the university community, whether students or working staff, is guaranteed the same opportunities for access, participation and academic and professional development. The commitment is to move towards a university model that integrates diversity as a fundamental value, identifies and eliminates obstacles, and promotes an environment where the specific needs of each person are addressed with rigour, sensitivity and full institutional responsibility.