The course Accessibility
and Sustainable Projects was created in 2005 and is now compulsory for students
in the third year of the Architecture programme. Its objective is to ensure
that future architects identify the needs and problems of people with
disabilities and work to overcome the difficulties they encounter on a daily
basis. This pioneering initiative is the first of its kind in Spain and is run
by the architect Enrique Rovira-Beleta Cuyás, author of Libro blanco de la accesibilidad
(White
Paper on Accessibility) and an accessibility specialist. He has worked as
accessibility consultant for various projects, including the 1992 Olympic and
Paralympic Games in Barcelona and the 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures.

The course curriculum
focuses on how to create buildings that are of high architectural quality, and
not perceive accessibility as a set of restrictive rules against this process,
through compliance with the Catalonia Accessibility Code, the current
regulations that are mandatory for any new developments, renovations or
modifications. Its main philosophy is based on ensuring that students realize
that including concepts relating to accessibility in their projects need not
keep them from creating buildings and spaces that are of high architectural,
design and aesthetic quality.

This term, the course has
included theoretical and practical segments, as well as field trips to
different locations where accessibility solutions have been analysed and
proposed, such as Parc Central, which was designed by Jean Nouvel. The students have
also benefited from special sessions with architects and users with
disabilities, including Manel Martí,
the President of the Catalan Association for the Blind and Visually
Impaired and the Social Studies Classroom.

The Adecco Foundation and Caixa
d’Enginyers
savings bank have supported this project as part of their commitment to integrating
people with disabilities into the workplace. Francisco
Mesonero, the
General Director of the Adecco Foundation, said, “Ensuring spaces are
accessible for disabled people is an essential and decisive step towards their integration
in the workplace. If we ensure that future architects commit to this principle,
we will achieve business spaces that are suitable for people with reduced
mobility”.

Isabel Sánchez
Soria, the
Director of Personnel Management and Development at Caixa d'Enginyers savings bank, said,
“Although progress has been made in this area, there is still a lot of ground
to cover, and the best way to achieve this is to include it in the education
system. That’s why this collaboration fulfils our company’s determination to
help achieve complete accessibility for everyone”. ESARQ professor Enrique
Rovira-Beleta
said, “Through this course, we ensure that students identify the capabilities
of disabled people and that they understand that accessibility is not just something
that people with disabilities need, but is beneficial to all citizens and can
help improve the quality of their projects”.