Unified criteria, university coordination and institutional commitment: the keys to universal accessibility

## Unified criteria, university coordination and institutional commitment: the keys to universal accessibility

The Universitat de València has hosted the 14th Encuentro de la Red de Servicios de Atención a Personas con Discapacidad de las Universidades (Conference of the Network of Services for the Care of People with Disabilities in Universities) (SAPDU) on 3 and 4 April, gathering more than a hundred specialists from 49 Spanish universities at the UV Botanical Garden to analyse and diagnose the current state od university disability care, as well as to update protocols and measures, and introduce new tools to improve accessibility and inclusion in equal opportunities

For that, an intense debate and reflection on hot topics have been established, as they are concerned with a context of continuous change and demand immediate accommodation.

Organised by Red UNIDISVAL that is comprised of the five Valencian public universities (Universitat de València, Universitat Politècnica de València, University of Alacant, Miguel Hernández University of Elche y Universitat Jaume I de Castelló) and with the sponsorship of Fundación ONCE and Fundación UNIVERSIA, the SAPDU annual conference has reflected on topics such as Artificial Intelligence for digital accessibility; the technical analysis of the current environment of inclusion of people with disabilities in higher education and employment, through the current legislation and other aspects; the keys of dealing with a diagnosis, treatment and accommodation for neurodevelopmental disorders (ASD, dyslexia and ADHD) form primary and secondary education to university; or the importance and urgency of improving university services for psychological care.

The first panel has broached the subject of Artificial Intelligence applied to departments of disability care, in the charge of the responsible technical specialists **Javier Francés**, from Universitat de València General Foundation, and **José Luis Ortego**, from the University of the Balearic Islands, introduced by the Vice-Principal for Art, Science, Technology and Society from the Universitat Politècnica de València, **Salomé Cuesta**.

One of the main goals was to show that AI can be an efficient and necessary tool in terms of digital accessibility as long as it offers “significant opportunities” that, by extension, allow the customisation of services in departments fro disabilities.

And how does this happen? According to **Francés**and **Ortego**, AI improves accessibility of academic contents and documents, and allow assistance to students with visual disabilities in the reading of non-accessible documents, the automation of repetitive tasks (answering emails, writing reports, generate surveys...), translation and adaptation of materials, or predictive analysis, favouring so the customisation of care for people with disabilities.

According to what experts have claimed, “It is fundamental to choose tools that better adapt to the needs of accessibility, being ChatGPT and Gemini the most recommended ones” and, therefore, “Education on AI is the key for professionals in this sector, allowing them to assess and supervise technological solutions with an inclusive focus.

**Functional diversity y disabilities in Spain**

On the other hand and taking into account the educational context of the conference, **Isabel Martínez Lozano**, director of Programmes with universities and the Promotion of Young Talent for ONCE Foundation, and **Beatriz Arribas**, director of UNIVERSIA Foundation, have intervened at a specialised panel, moderated by the Vice-Principal for Students and Employment from the University of Alacant, **Raúl Ruiz**.

Both of them have developed a diagnosis for functional diversity and disabilities in Spain, a situation that affects 966,000 students of the pre-university system. **Isabel Martínez Lozano** has considered that “education id the most empowering and integrating element” in the path toward inclusion and, for that, defines the Organic Law on the University System (LOSU) as a “regulatory framework that helps to sketch a new university model influencing the change toward inclusion: rights and opportunities for everyone.”

She has underlined that LOSU compels every private and public university to work on their inclusion, preserving and maintaining positive measures to guarantee accessibility in every university programme; it provides article 37 of equity and non-discrimination, which includes that every curricular structure be inclusive and accessible; the definition of care services for disability is given; and poses a “challenge” in article 65 for the promotion of equity among teaching and research staff, so that people with disabilities can carry out academic activities.

**Martínez Lozano** has highlighted the progress from integration work, a spot where that disabled students in Spain already represent 2.6% of the total number of students (whether it is in-person or distance learning), as well as the challenge of “not leaving anyone behind”, because from around a million elementary and secondary students only 22,000 get to go to university.

Moreover, she has referred to the study on ‘the inclusion of people with disabilities in the Spanish university system’, of which results shed “lights and shadows” on this situation: lack of resources, a problem with training and attitude, and saturation in care services. However, some challenges that stand out are participation -to continue developing equality in a holistic sense-, the recognition of ANECA and the elimination of prejudices -ideological barriers have been overcome, but structural obstacles still persist.

**Beatriz Arribas** has pointed out the work of UNIVERSIA Foundation for effective equality through three lines of action: education through scholarships and financial support programmes; push for quality employment with training in digital competences or *mentoring*; and accessible environments through studies about inclusion and accessibility projects, such as sign language with AI or Change Dyslexia.

Some of UNIVERSIA’s goals are to overcome the career stagnation of people with disabilities, improve employment opportunities with job fairs and specific events and drive *mentoring*and *coaching*actions to facilitate inclusion in the job market.

The debate ended recognising that employment programmes are essential. Not only is it “a challenge” for people with disabilities to have access to a job, but also to be able to progress professionally. How? Developing long-term sustainable careers during their years in university.

**Keys of progress in neurodevelopmental disorders**

The third panel, moderated by the director of UVdisability, **Celeste Asensi**, has summoned experts, psychologists all of them, in neurodevelopmental disorders: **Manuel Martín**, form the Mira’m Foundation, specialist in ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder); Doctor **Javier Roca**, professor of psychology at the Universitat de València and expert in learning disabilities (reading and writing disorders); and **Amanda Meliá**, psychologist and scientist, director of Studies of Human Behaviour, expert in ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

The discussion revolved around four clearly defined aspects: the first one, the diagnosis and assessment of this type of disorders; the second one, the challenges in higher education; the third one, on accommodations that universities require to tend to the needs of those with ASD, ADHD and dyslexia; and the fourth one, university competences.

While it is true that both each kind of disorder and every person demand a very specific and particular type of care and attention, both the members of the panel, who have done an in-depth study on the realities they deal with on the daily, and the audience agreed that the keys in the progress of care for neurodevelopmental disorder happen when “institutional coordination is improved”, facilitating the process and any decision-making; when “clear criteria for diagnosis are defined” for an equity principle; and when “university environments are accommodating”, guaranteeing equal opportunities without compromising academic rigour.

At this point, experts and specialists agreed to revise the ‘Guide for good practices for the transition, entry and welcome of students with specific education support needs (NEAE) in university studies’ (Guía SAPDU de la CRUE), a technical document for the transition of disabled students and NEAE from middle and upper secondary school education to university, resources can be found along this route and some advice on how to cope with this new stage, published in 2017, with the collaboration of Red SAPDU, ONCE Foundation and CRUE.

**Counseling and Psychological Services in University**

The fourth and last panel, in the charge of the president of the Asociación Española de Servicios Psicológicos y Psicopedagógicos Universitarios (AESPPU), **Miguel Ángel Rando**, focused on counselling and psychological services in university, a characteristic that demands a certain level of interest, taking into account the state of mental health in Spain at the moment. Rando has claimed that 25% of the population “will suffer throughout their life with a mental disorder, mainly anxiety and depression”, basing it on the most frequent disorders, such as chronic anxiety (present in 6.7% of adults), depression (present in 6.7%, although 17% of the population claims to have it) and cognitive impairment (present in 31.3% of people over 65).

According to the last diagnosis survey of mental health of university students in Spain (2022-23), one in every two students claimed to have depressive symptoms and generalised anxiety disorder, while 17% of them were prescribed tranquillisers and anxiolytics.

In their age range, between 18 and 23 years old, students experienced challenges, like defining their own identity as they become adults, change place of residence, have their first intimate relations with all the issues these might carry, start to move through the world and suffer pressure regarding academic expectations.

All of this shows an necessary evolution in counselling and psychological services in university since its inception in 1985 as a space for medical practices until it became an “essential” service for the current university community. The AESPPU, which was created in 2009, recognises that the mental health of university students is “concerning” and it is fundamentally related to academic pressure, life changes and an insufficient emotional education in a changing social context.

**Miguel Ángel Rando** has finally concluded that, in spite of support from university services, psychological care is not enough as they cannot provide comprehensive clinical therapy, something that demnds more resources, specific training from the academic and technical staff, as well as unified action protocols that currently do not exist. Other keys for an effective response is the intervention among peers and coordination among services and adequately managing the incorporation of students with serious mental disorders in the university.

The 14th Conference SAPDU, that took place in the setting for the 525 anniversry of the Universitat de València, closed with the participation of the principal Maria Vicenta Mestre, who appreciated this reunion for paving the way to the construction of “more inclusive, equal and just universities” because “people are what is most important”; and remembered the leadership of the Universitat when it comes to care for disabilities by receiving more than a thousand in-person students every year, in addition of being a trailblazer in services to the academic, technical and research staff, becoming an example for other Spanish academic institutions.

Nevertheless, the principal has insisted on the need for the involvement of this subject in public policies through governments in every sector (municipal, autonomous and state), because equal opportunities “are not a favour, they are a right of every citizen.”

The principal Maria Vicenta Mestre was accompanied by the vice-principal of the students of University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, president of the SAPDU Network and coordinator of the work group of Diversity and Disability of CRUE, Student Affairs, **David Sánchez**, and **Isabel Martínez Lozano**, from the ONCE Foundation.

Organised by the University Support Services for People with Disabilities of the Valencian Universities (UNIDISVAL Network), with the sponsorship of the ONCE Foundation, the UNIVERSIA Foundation and the five public universities of the Valencian Community: Universitat de València, Universitat Politècnica de València, University of Alacant, Universitat Miguel Hernández d'Elx and Universitat Jaume I de Castelló; the 14th SAPDU Conference has taken place in 2025 in València after the suspension on the initially scheduled date last November as a result of the tragic dana that devastated the territory.

Now, the University of the Balearic Islands is taking over the baton and will host the 15th Conference in Mallorca in June 2026.

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### Criteris unificats, coordinació universitària i compromís institucional: claus per a l’accessibilitat universal

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