Latin American countries and the Spanish Ministry of Education launch a call to promote the inclusion of students with disabilities

Eight countries in the region and the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports of Spain (MEFPD) take part in an initiative by the Ibero-American Intergovernmental Network for Cooperation on the Education of People with Special Educational Needs (RIINEE), which will award six innovative projects for the inclusion of students with disabilities.

On 24th September 2024, during a virtual ceremony inaugurated by the UNESCO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean and the member countries of the Ibero-American Intergovernmental Network for Cooperation on the Education of People with Special Educational Needs (RIINEE), submissions were opened for projects, initiatives and experiences that promote the inclusion of students with disabilities through educational and technological innovations in Latin America.

This call is part of the project "Developing Inclusive Educational Systems", spearheaded by the Spanish Ministry of Education in its role as the executive secretariat of RIINEE, in collaboration with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the UNESCO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. The initiative will award six projects that promote practices to improve learning in inclusive environments, providing mentorship and technical assistance for six months, and the opportunity to attend the first RIINEE Regional Forum on Inclusive Education in 2025.

The main goal of this call is to identify and strengthen projects in Latin America that incorporate assistive technologies, artificial intelligence, and accessible materials, aiming to reduce learning barriers and promote equity in access to education.

"More than 93 million children worldwide have disabilities, and ensuring that each of them has access to quality education is a global and regional challenge. Reaching the most excluded and marginalised groups by providing quality educational opportunities requires the design and implementation of inclusive policies and programmes. That is why it is of utmost importance for UNESCO to offer guidance and recognition to those initiatives that bring Latin America closer to inclusive education through this award," said Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The call is open to educational institutions in the 19 member countries of RIINEE (Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela), which must have at least one year of project implementation. Submissions are open until 13th December 2024, in three categories: innovation in the use of technology for inclusion, innovation in inclusive education, and the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom.

• Learn more about the call and submit your institution's project