Throughout centuries, individuals with disabilities have experienced discrimination, stigma, and even systemic extermination. From ancient civilizations to modern societies, the narrative of disability has often been one of exclusion, relegation, and erasure.
The third event of our annual seminar dedicated to the subaltern memories will delve into the historical context of disability, exploring the imperative of inclusive memorialization and serving as a call to action—a call to remember, to reflect, and to advocate for a more inclusive society.
The one-day conference will take place at the room Ramon y Cajal of the historical building of the University of Barcelona on June 18, 2024, from 9,30 am to 7,30 pm. Entrance is free, but previous registration is necessary.
There will be simultaneous interpretation from Catalan/Spanish-English and LSC.
Programme (PDF for download)
Pictures on Flickr
Agenda
9.30 – 10.00 a.m. Reception of participants and attendees
10.00 a.m. Welcome and opening
- Xavier López Arnabat, Director of the UB Solidarity Foundation
- Montserrat Puig i Llobet, Vicerector of Equality and Gender of the University of Barcelona
10.15 – 11 a.m. Keynote speech (online):
Nothing About Us Without Us: the Social Movement of Persons with Disabilities in 20th-century Europe
Monika Baar, professor in the History Department and the Robert Schuman Center for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute
11.30 a.m. – 1 p.m. First panel: Memory and redress, a European perspective
- Memorial to the victims of the Nazi Murder Programme against persons with a disability
Stefanie Endlich, Honorary Professor of Art in Public Spaces at the Universität der Künste Berlin. - Signed memories: the violation of the rights of persons who are deaf and the community of sign language. The reconciliation process of the Finnish government
Hisayo Katsui, Professor of Disability Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki
Moderator: Oriol López, EUROM coordinator
4.00 pm – Screening of the documentary “The Other Normality” (1980), followed by a debate with Efren Carbonell and Ferran Miquel, director of the film and co-founder of the Grupdem cooperative
Synopsis: Produced in 1980, the film represents a valuable document where disabled people themselves, families and educators explain how they lived and what difficulties they encountered in a society that was probably immature and not ready to accept diversity.
5:00 p.m. Second panel: The struggles towards inclusion in Catalonia
- Sergi Moncunill, social and political activist
- Josep Ruf, Member of the expert committee of FIADOWN (Ibero-American Federation for Down Syndrome)
- Maite Ruiz, president of LADD (Association defending the rights of people with intellectual disabilities)
Moderator: Efren Carbonell, educational and social activist
6:30 p.m. – Closing remarks
Videos
The panels can be recovered on YouTube both in English and Spanish
Cover picture: Commemoration on the blue glass wall of the T4 Memorial in Berlin (2019). Photo by Marko Priske on the 5th anniversary of the memorial and information place for the victims of the National Socialist “Euthanasia” Murders.
Press release
A conference to raise awareness on the memories of persons with disabilities
Related activities
- The memories of European Sinti & Roma (Subaltern Memories 2023)
- The LGBTI+ struggles in Europe (Subaltern Memories 2022)
Survey
This activity is co-financed by the European Commission and for its evaluation we kindly ask your collaboration in filling out this survey. It will take about 10 minutes, and you will need the information indicated below. Thank you very much!
- Reference of the Project: 101140481
- Kind of activity: Awareness Raising
- Title: Subaltern Memories 2024
- Date of the activity: June 18, 2024
- Duration of the event in days: 1
- In Person
- University of Barcelona