"On equality and ability" – debate as part of „Diverse & Equal” campaign
The Medical Univeristy of Gdańsk in cooperation with the Marshal’s Office of Pomorskie Voivodeship, the City of Gdańsk, the University of Gdańsk and the Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk from the beginning of January 2023 has been implementing the second stage of the Culture of Respect ccampaign dedicated to equality and equal treatment in the broadest sense, and entitled Diverse & Equal.
As part of this campaign, 4 thematic debates will be organized. The first one, entitled On equality and ability will be devoted to the issue of equality and equal treatment in the context of the level of ability/disability.
The event will take place on 6th of March 2023 at 4 p.m. in Auditorium Primum, Prof. Olgierd Narkiewicz Memorial Hall at Atheneum Gedanense Novum GUMed (al. Zwycięstwa 41/42, Gdańsk) and will be broadcast live on MUG’s YouTube channel. NA recording of the debate with English translation will be made available on University’s channel a few days later. The statements of the debate participants will be translated live by a Polish Sign Language interpreter.
The subject of discussion will be:
- Problems faced by people with disabilities in the academic environment – are architectural and technical barriers still the main source of problems? Or maybe something else?
- Stereotypes and prejudices – what problem do able-bodied people have with disabilities? Are we too easily generalizing, categorizing and stigmatizing people with disabilities?
- What do people with disabilities need, especially in academia? How do we provide support and enable self-realization for people with disabilities with dignity and for the benefit of all?
- Is disability a common source of unequal treatment in academia? Why is this the case? What is needed most to make the university a welcoming, safe and comfortable place to work and learn for all, regardless of level of ability?
- • What has already been done and what are the plans in this area at UG and MUG?
The speakers in the debate will be:
- Katarzyna Maciejowska – University of Gdańsk; 1st year Interdisciplinary Individual Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences student,
- Joanna Matuszewska – Radio Gdańsk; Medical University of Gdańsk; medical journalist, rehabilitation manager and specialist in comprehensive rehabilitation at the UCC’s Breast Disease Center, teacher at the MUG’s Division of Quality of Life Research,
- Justyna Rogowska – University of Gdańsk; Rector’s Plenipotentiary for Persons with Disabilities; Manager of the Accessible UG Project.,
- Dr. Habil. Tomasz Smiatacz – Medical University of Gdańsk; Vice-Rector for Student Affairs; Rector’s Plenipotentiary for Persons with Disabilities
- prof. Dominika Szalewska – Medical University of Gdańsk; Head of the Division of Rehabilitation Medicine,
- Daniela Walkowska – University of Gdańsk; 1st year Special Pedagogy student,
- Daniel Wilczyński – Medical University of Gdańsk; 4th year pharmacy student,
- moderator Jacek Kaczmarek, Ph.D.
We also wish to encourage the members of the academic community of the Medical University of Gdańsk to get involved and share their views, opinions, and ideas regarding equality and equal treatment in any context to the email address of the Culture of Respect campaign respect@gumed.edu.pl.