Is the campus accessible for non-Spanish speakers?
I think that both universities we work with, U. Autonoma Barcelona (UAB) and U. Barcelona (UB), they are both accessible for all kinds of students. They can accommodate the language needs of students. Both have English classes, so they have many English speaking people on campus; there are always people around who can help. The disabilities office said they can provide students to assist students. The API office is also available for assistance.
Is the city and campus accessible?
Our facilities are handicapped accessible because of the Olympics for students with wheelchairs, as well as buses and public transportation. Our offices are as well; we just made a new campus a few years ago with everything accessible, from the bathrooms and offices to computer labs and bookstore. The other university (UAB) campus has just been renovated a few years ago to make everything accessible. They even the signs for blind people on the floor so they may follow it.
The University Autonoma Barcelona has been renovated to adapt to wheelchairs and blind people, complete with signs on the floor to direct students with canes to follow. They have access to bathrooms, classrooms, even the store located within the building. The U Barcelona building used to belong to a hospital, and was renovated taken into account that people with disabilities will attend.
As for housing for students with disabilities, all of the families have no problem with medications. The buildings need to be checked for disability accessibility, such as wide enough doors for wheelchairs. The residence apartments are not like US dorms, but are living with international students. They may not be handicapped-accessible. It depends on the student, as s/he will be on their own.
We had a student two summers ago that needed crutches to walk due to a disease since childhood. She did not mention anything in her application or housing form, but told us a few weeks prior to her arrival in
Barcelona
. We had to find her suitable housing, but she didn’t have problems with buses or any complaints. As she was in the new building, accessibility was not a problem. She did not have problems on excursions, or problems with luggage. She used to go out with everyone, to clubs and bars and even their only excursions. She even rented bikes with the other students in
Mallorca
. Most of the museums in
Barcelona
are handicapped-accessible, such as
National
Museum
and
Museum
of
Contemporary Art
, but the small ones may not be.
During the Olympic Games in 1992,
Barcelona
completely renovated itself. One of the requirements was to prepare the city for handicapped people; the sidewalks, streets, and public buses are all prepared for people with disabilities. Even the street lights have signals for blind people. Public buildings now have elevators. Most of the public buses have ramps.
How are the medical facilities for students with psychological problems?
We have had students with psychological problems before, and we can provide them with specialized doctors who can deal with them and speak English and they knew with the drugs and the equivalents for Spanish drugs. We have two psychologists who treat our students in the past to make sure our students can be treated and go on their own.
What kinds of accommodations can be made for students with difficulties reading?
Students studying with API don’t use books. Teachers provide a packet of photocopies they can buy that can be scanned and sent materials to US universities ahead of time.
What advice to you have for study abroad offices in the
United States
?
I think that from the
US
side, meet the students before, and I think that what you could do best is make sure the student is prepared to be here. It can be very difficult for students without a disability to adjust, but the best way to prepare them is that this is a very different place where everything is different. A good way to prepare them is make sure they speak some Spanish.
Do you have any suggestions for students who want to study in
Barcelona
?
I can say the same things to anyone, just open your mind. I think you have to realize that you are in a different country and we are used to different things and we don’t act the same way for the same incident. We may not be used to different kinds of disabilities, so we respond differently that people in the
US
. I think that is something that all students need to take into consideration.
