To mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Fundació Institut Guttmann organized a highly significant event at the El Born Museu d’Història in Barcelona. Carme Elias, Bob Pop, Judit Mascó, Josep Lluís Trapero, and more than 35 personalities from various fields gathered to call for compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The event consisted of a public reading of the Convention’s 33 articles, which, although approved by the UN in 2006 and in force in Spain since 2008, still contain many demands that remain only on paper.

Under the slogan We don’t turn the page; we underline it, the Foundation held this event as the closing act of the celebrations for the hospital’s 60th anniversary, inaugurated on November 27, 1965. “The slogan is a declaration of intent, a call on institutions to guarantee the rights of all people, regardless of their abilities,” says Ms. Núria Basi, president of the Board of Trustees of Fundació Guttmann.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Rights and Inclusion of the Government of Catalonia, Mr. Raúl Moreno Montaña, opened the event, which was hosted by journalist Helena García Melero. Afterwards, 35 personalities from the fields of politics, culture, sports, science, business, social organizations, as well as patients and representatives of disability groups, read aloud the 33 articles of the Convention in their easy-to-read version. Easy-to-read is a system for adapting texts for people with reading comprehension difficulties, whether due to a disability, limited knowledge of the language, or any other reason.

The 35 readers who took part in the public reading were: Berta Abellán, trial rider; Jana Arimany, activist; Llum Barrera, actress; Núria Basi, president of the Fundació Guttmann Board of Trustees; Antoni Bassas, journalist; Iolanda Batallé, editor and writer; Júlia Beranuy, niece of activist Josep Giralt; Pau Brunet, publicist; Sister Lucía Caram, religious; Elena de Carandini Raventós, businesswoman; Cristian Casals, audiovisual producer; Júlia Castelló, occupational therapist; Guillem Clua, playwright; Sergi Cutillas, audiovisual technician; Òscar Dalmau, presenter; Carme Elias, actress; Christian Escribà, pastry chef; Figa Flawas, musicians; Ginestà, musicians; Albert Llovera, rally driver; Judit Mascó, model; Marc Molins, lawyer; Victòria Pagès, actress; Ada Parellada, chef; Maria Petit, activist; Carlota Pi, businesswoman; Bob Pop, writer; Pau Relat, president of Fira de Barcelona; Pedro Solís, film director; Josep Lluís Trapero, Director General of the Mossos d'Esquadra; Andy Trias, activist; Antoni Trilla, doctor; and Emma Vilarasau, actress.

This event, which closed the 60th-anniversary celebrations, enjoyed a strong turnout and reinforced the organization’s commitment to defending rights, inclusion, and equal opportunities.