2023 SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGE: ACCESSIBILITY, INCLUSION, BELONGING

ACCESSIBILITY, INCLUSION, BELONGING

At the IE University Sustainability Office we strive to improve and grow towards a more diverse, inclusive and therefore sustainable community and society. We do so through education, transforming the lives of those around us and generating a positive impact. After a very successful environmental 2022 Challenge “Carbon Footprint, the Sustainability Office at IE presents a social challenge for 2023 as part of our 10 Year Challenge commitment. This year we are working towards accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities, hence our social challenge for 2023 is “Accessibility, Inclusion, Belonging”

IN SHORT

Our 2023 challenge from the Sustainability Office is under the umbrella of Diversity. It is about accessibility for people with disabilities, improving our resources (physical, digital, educational, and human) to increase awareness, empathy towards inclusivity.

WHY NOW?

After a thorough audit led by ONCE and an in-house audit, we realized there was room to grow and improve in order to become the reflection of the sustainable society we want to create. We constantly aim to build an inclusive environment in which we acknowledge that our shared uniqueness makes us stronger, a community where every piece of the chain not only is important but also belongs (in). Because Diversity is one of IEU fundamental principles. At the Sustainability Office we believe that leadership comes in many forms, acting towards accessibility was a logical step for us.

CAPABILITIES – DISABILITIES

In a diverse environment we create a broader spectrum of normalcy. Disability is not Inability. It is a different set of capabilities.

Authentic inclusión, drives innovation through creativity and by using our different capabilities we create this world where we all belong.

Some of the SDGs that we are working towards during this challenge and in the coming years are:

ACCESSIBILITY

Accessibility is the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity. The concept focuses on enabling access for people with disabilities or enabling access through the use of technology. At IEU we are directing all our resources and efforts to promote and create accessibility in all areas, while knowing this is only a starting point towards real inclusion.

Creating with accessibility in mind, is the beginning.

INCLUSION

Inclusion goes one step further than accessibility. By definition it is the act of respecting and including people regardless of their gender, race, disabilities, abilities etc. in activities, institutions and groups. Inclusion represents our efforts and behaviors from our organization and the people in it to create and inclusive environment.

BELONGING

Longing to be part of something greater than ourselves, be it a group or an organization. Our goal at the Sustainability Office at IE University is to create an institution, where not only we address the logistic, spatial, educative, and material challenges faced by people with disabilities but also, we constitute a community where everybody is a fundamental piece in our chain of change.