The Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC Barcelona) and the Fundación Mutua de Propietarios [Mutual Property Owners Foundation] have signed a cooperation agreement to promote training in accessibility through the postgraduate degree in Accessibility: Universal Design Specialist, taught at the UIC Barcelona School of Architecture since 2011. As such, the two entities strengthened their commitment to society and knowledge, focusing especially on promoting the unnoticed accessibility in housing. 

Present at the agreement signing were Laura López, executive vice president of the Mutual Property Owners Foundation and Dr Alfonso Méndiz, rector of UIC Barcelona, accompanied by Raquel Rodríguez, Project and Activities Manager of the Mutual Property Owners Foundation; Dr Víctor Echarri, director of UIC Barcelona School of Architecture and the director of the postgraduate course; and the architect Enrique Rovira-Beleta. 

The Mutual Property Owners Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life of people with reduced mobility by facilitating accessibility in housing and their surroundings. Through its programmes, the Foundation wants to generate knowledge about the current situation, raise awareness in society regarding accessibility and promote the development of initiatives that contribute to eliminating architectural barriers. 

“We believe that education in accessibility is fundamental as the starting point to develop accessible housing that allows us to build a more inclusive society in which all people have the same opportunities,” explained Laura López Demarbre, executive vice president of the Mutual Property Owners Foundation.

Thus, through the agreement, the entity is committed to the postgraduate degree in Accessibility: Universal Design Specialist, which is taught at UIC Barcelona School of Architecture, with the aim of providing students with the tools needed to analyse and understand accessibility design criteria in spaces, itineraries, elements, products and services in the surrounding area. 

Almost 200 students from all over the world with very different specialisations and professions have completed this postgraduate course that allows students to make accessibility unnoticeable, with standardised criteria and designs that are commonly used for everyone. 

When signing the agreement for the 13th edition of the postgraduate course, online and interactive, that will start this next academic year, Rovira-Beleta stressed the relevance of the agreement: “Mutual Property Owners Foundation is leading the way in housing accessibility. That is why I am convinced that your support will be crucial in this year and in the coming years, since the entire population will continue to age, but we all want to continue with our activities as autonomously as possible.”