Psychology, Architecture,
Engineering and Communication lecturers and students have participated in the conference
‘Smart Citizen: Universal Inclusion and Accessibility’ to share
experiences and teaching methods developed through working with people with
intellectual disabilities in different professional fields. The conference, organised
by Guadalupe Cantarero, Concepción Pérez and Federico de Isidro, who are lecturers
of the degree in Architecture, considered subjects such as ‘real inclusion’ in
a mixed-ability classroom; and also equality and learning of the concept
‘Universal Accessibility’ in architecture, urban planning, web browsing, easy
reading and ‘Design Thinking’.
The Vice-Rector for
Internationalisation at CEU USP, Ainhoa Uribe, inaugurated
the conference alongside Isabel Martínez Lozano, director of ‘Universidades y Promoción
de Talento FONCE’, and Carolina López Carracedo, head of ‘Programas con
Universidades y Promoción del Talento Joven FONCE’. The event brought together
more than 40 teaching staff from a
number of centres (Institute of Technology, School of Humanities and
Communication Sciences with Master in Training for Compulsory Secondary
Education and Baccalaureate) and more than 70 students on the training Course
CF-CAAU ‘Consultant in Universal Accessibility’, financed by FONCE and the
Fondo Social Europeo: and CEU San Pablo
University award winner for Innovation in 2019. As a result, a COIL project with
the University of Monterrey UDEM (Mexico) was launched.
The objectives of the conference
are, among others, to create international synergies, establish new teaching
methods and promote new collaborations with other universities also forming part
of the UNIDIVERSIDAD project for people with intellectual disabilities. Experts
from the Complutense University of Madrid, the Camilo Jose Cela University and
the University of Monterrey UDEM (Mexico) have collaborated in the development
of the above project.
The architecture round table was led by Esperanza Valle, representing
one of the most important national studios, L35, with the participation of
professionals from institutions including ADISLI.