Includ-ed, red europea de educación inclusiva

“We are aware however, that social exclusion in this new century will not be due to gender, nationality or disability in a person, but more a matter of knowledge and education. This is why we are navigating towards inclusive education. There is no better tool than a University education to guarantee autonomy and quality employment possibilities for people with disabilities. (..) New Technologies are without doubt the great ally of inclusive education and a vital element for promoting equality of opportunity. We mustn’t forget that by improving universal accessibility, we are bettering inclusion for society as a whole.”

Isabel Martínez Lozano is working within the ONCE Foundation as the Commissioner of the University Commission for Youth affairs and Special plans. The Commission exists since the beginning of this year, and aims to develop ONCE Foundation’s work programmes with youth and education. Nowadays, in the society of knowledge, ONCE Foundation considers it as fundamental to invest in and empower people with disabilities to attain the highest levels of training, as there is no better route towards inclusion and guarantee of equal rights than that of education and training. This is what the University Commission for Youth affairs and Special plans was created for. The ONCE Foundation wants to foster all the talent in people with disabilities, so that no one is left behind and so that society can make the most of this wealth of skills.

incluD-ed invited Isabel Martínez Lozano to speak about the situation of inclusive education in Spain, ONCE Foundation’s new University Commission for Youth affairs and Special plans and other projects related to access to university and knowledge for people with disabilities as well as about the significance of new technologies.

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incluD-ed: Could you give us your opinion on the current state of inclusive education in Spain?

Isabel Martínez Lozano: In Spain, we have made important progress towards a fully inclusive education. In fact the percentage of students still in special learning centres is minimal. There has been huge improvement in the teaching sector, which is more and more conscious and better trained in dealing with the special needs of each and every student. Especially now, in this last decade of economic growth, we have seen a marked increase in support resources. The university has also progressed notably in this respect, with new support units being created for people with disabilities. All these advances have been brought about thanks to important legislative changes, which have adapted our policy framework in line with the Convention for Human Rights for people with disabilities. Our current situation is therefore acceptable, however the crisis is provoking major cuts in social action and protection. We are now at risk of regressing, if these resources for support are not guaranteed by the public administration. In this sense, these years are transcendental. We need to remain vigilant, because there are plans for a new law on educational quality with elements that would pose problems, create obstacles and undo all the work so far in terms of how students with disabilities in secondary education will be able to continue their studies.

incluD-ed: Do you think Spanish society is prepared for inclusion? What are the challenges?

Isabel Martínez Lozano: It is true that along with an economic crisis, there is also talk of a crisis of values. Alongside this cohesive and diverse society, educated in democratic and social values, there is another, selfish and individualistic society, with little sense of solidarity and belief in equality. Our society is however, generally and in spite of this, a society committed to equal rights and opportunities and readily agrees to share public and work spaces with all kinds of different people. I believe that we are and must be prepared for this. Diversity is an everyday reality and we need to continue to teach and cultivate values of respect, equality and solidarity. Inclusion is impossible in a society that does not believe in equal opportunities. For this to happen however, we need not only values, but decisive political action and public policy to promote it.

incluD-ed: The ONCE Foundation is an important reference for people with disabilities and for the evolution of inclusive education in Spain. What is your role within the Organisation?

Isabel Martínez Lozano: The ONCE Foundation has been working for 25 years for the inclusion of people with disabilities and up until now, it has been doing this in two ways: through universal accessibility and work. We are aware however, that social exclusion in this new century will not be due to gender, nationality or disability in a person, but more a matter of knowledge and education. This is why we are navigating towards inclusive education. There is no better tool than a University education to guarantee autonomy and quality employment possibilities for people with disabilities. This is what we are working towards, with programmes which span from creating awareness and motivating primary and secondary school children, to grants and work experience programmes for students whom we wish to have a brilliant academic and professional career. I am the Commissioner at the moment for these tasks.

incluD-ed: How long have you worked in this field and how has it evolved over the years?

Isabel Martínez Lozano: I have been working in the public sector for fifteen years, promoting, designing and directing public policy on equal opportunities. I joined ONCE following a period in which I promoted and designed many of the laws that are now being implemented in this field. I came here in order to direct a department called “The University Commission on Youth and Special Plans”. We are promoting inclusive education and access to university and knowledge for people with disabilities but we have many challenges ahead. I am an avid defender of equal opportunities, without which I don’t feel there is a society at all, and I am passionate about putting all my energy into ensuring this equality is real and effective. The struggle for equality is ongoing however, because when you think you have ended one form of discrimination others arise. This is why one must continue to fight to reduce these hubs of discrimination and exclusion, which are always there, though the faces and players may change.

incluD-ed: What specific projects are you working on at the moment?

Isabel Martínez Lozano: We are working on several fronts: on one hand, we have training and awareness programmes aimed at the whole education community, with student orientation programmes and support. We have designed materials to help include disability into the content of the curriculum. On the other hand, we work to promote investigation and innovation. We created a website called “RED INNOVA”, precisely for this, to publicize all the academic investigation on accessibility and other themes related to disabilities. We also continue to promote accessibility and help contribute financially towards removal of barriers and an open access university campus design. We have recently designed a grant programme to encourage mobility in students with disabilities and promote access to postgraduate studies and investigation.

incluD-ed: Are there any other projects and initiatives you would like to highlight?

Isabel Martínez Lozano: We have recently designed an intermediary employment and work experience programme for University students and we are about to implement this in the coming school year. We want work experience, which is so important in academic and professional training for young people, to no longer be an obstacle for students with disabilities. This is why we are going to work closely with the main Spanish Universities, promoting curricular and extracurricular work experience offers. We believe we can ease university students with disabilities into the work force and that companies will begin to break away from possible prejudices and focus more on talent rather than disability. It’s a programme which will allow us to unleash all the talent of people with disabilities.

Click here to read “New Technologies are the great ally of inclusive education” - Interview with Isabel Martínez Lozano, ONCE Foundation (2/2)