Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile: Director of Inclusion joins the National Council of Universal Accessibility
According to figures from the Second National Disability Study prepared in 2015, 16.7% of the Chilean population lives with some type of disability. This would correspond to almost three million people. And although in recent times progress has been made to advance accessibility and full participation, there are still many aspects pending improvement in areas as diverse as access to information, transportation, health and culture, among many others.
With this issue as a background, the Government of Chile recently convened the first National Council for Universal Accessibility, with an important task ahead: to develop a national plan for universal accessibility for the country with a horizon of 10 years (2022-2032), to guide public policies for full inclusion through the National Disability Service (SENADIS) . The director of Inclusión UC , Catalina García, was elected to this council as a representative of the universities of the Council of Rectors (CRUCh), together with the academic Arlett Krause, from the Universidad de la Frontera.
According to figures from the Second National Disability Study prepared in 2015, 16.7% of the Chilean population lives with some type of disability.
“For me the appointment is something super exciting, it puts a big challenge ahead of me and I take it with a lot of responsibility and gratitude also for the confidence in choosing me for this task,” says García, who was chosen by the members of the CRUCH with the first most.
The advisory council will also include professionals with knowledge in the areas of accessibility to health, transportation, housing, education, work, culture, science and technology, as well as people with different disabilities, which for Catalina constitutes an important achievement of the institutions and associations. linked to inclusion.
Full participation in conditions of equity as a goal
With a long history in issues related to universal accessibility, the director of Inclusion UC expressed her interest in starting to work as soon as possible: “There is much to do and learn here. For me, incorporating the logic of accessibility in what you do is what generates real changes, “he says.
For the psychologist and expert on issues of equity and inclusion, incorporating full participation under conditions of equity in all areas of society is one of the main challenges: “We have to normalize it to the point that we cannot not see those aspects that make it difficult or facilitate accessibility ”.
Catalina García did her undergraduate and master’s studies in Psychology at UC. He has worked at Cedeti , and at Mide UC, leading projects that have to do with accessibility in both learning and evaluation processes. He also directed the Master of Educational Psychology at the Universidad del Desarrollo, and worked in the Transfer and Development Department of the university before leading the Inclusion Department of the UC.
“There is much to do and learn here. For me, incorporating the logic of accessibility in what one does is what generates real changes ”- Catalina García, director of Inclusión UC.