On 5 and 6 October, the BDebate "Integrating Societies and Disability: Open and Intelligent Cities from the Social Sciences" was organized at the CosmoCaixa in Barcelona by the Institut Guttmann, Biocat and "la Caixa" Obra Social and with the collaboration of the Institute of Government and Public Policies (IGOP-UAB).

The seminars, led scientifically by Dr. Josep M. Tormos and Mr. Angel Gil of the Institut Guttmann and Raquel Gallego of IGOP, have been supported by the Abertis Foundation. The meeting brought together researchers from diverse disciplines, from the technological to the purely social, as well as affected people, and addressed different needs of social policies aimed at people with disabilities, opening debates on the challenge of taking advantage of the opportunities offered by new technologies to promote interaction with the environment.

Structured in 6 discussion sessions, the BDebate allowed to analyze the needs of people with disabilities in relation to their social life in a new sociological, structural and economic scenario. Issues such as rights, empowerment and participation were treated, as well as the approach of the new open and smart cities as models of inclusive societies that can provide greater opportunities for people with disabilities. In the last sessions, the challenges were identified and concretized to achieve a social scenario that is truly inclusive for people with disabilities.

The international participation gave the debate a broader vision of this reality and enriched the exhibitions with innovative ideas. The program and the information of the speakers is available in this link.