On Thursday, 25 April 2013, Válida Sin Barreras, a Spanish company that provides services in universal accessibility, renewed its commitment to the ESARQ Postgraduate Degree Programme in Accessibility and Design for All, which will begin its third edition in October. Albert Vila, the Marketing Director at Válida Sin Barreras; UIC Rector Dr. Pere Alavedra; and architect Enrique Rovira-Beleta, the Director of the postgraduate programme, were present for the signing of the agreement.

The postgraduate programme is the first formal academic initiative to examine accessibility from a global, cross-disciplinary perspective. The programme is invaluable for making sure that Design for All is universal and flexible, given that the requirements for accessibility are different in each country.

"The course is a chance to discover the abilities of people with disabilities and to see that accessibility is not just a requirement of the disabled, but an advantage for everyone", said Rovira-Beleta. Accessibility creates cities, buildings, housing, and transport and communication systems that are comfortable and safe for all citizens, especially those with impaired movement or communication, but with a standardized design for everyone.

The programme combines theory and practice and the work sessions use an interactive online platform. Students can participate in the programme from anywhere in the world and work with a teaching staff made up of professors from different countries. The postgraduate programme is taught by renowned professionals from different areas of architecture and accessible design, as well as representatives from organizations of people with disabilities and institutions that provide services in the area of universal accessibility.