From the beginning of January 2023, the Medical University of Gdańsk, in cooperation with the Marshal's Office of the Pomorskie Voivodeship, the City of Gdańsk, the University of Gdańsk and the Daniel Fahrenheit Association of Universities in Gdańsk, is implementing the second stage of the 'Culture of Respect' campaign dedicated to equality and equal treatment in the broadest sense, entitled 'Diverse & Equal'.

Four thematic debates will be organised as part of this campaign. The first will be on the issue of equality and equal treatment in the context of ability levels and entitled 'On equality and ability'.

The debate will take place on Monday, March 6, 2023, at 16:00 in the Auditorium Primum of prof. Olgierd Narkiewicz in the Atheneum Gedanense Novum MUG, Al. Zwycięstwa 41/42 in Gdańsk and will be broadcast live on the MUG YouTube channel.

A recording of the debate with an English translation will be made available on the MUG YouTube channel a few days after the discussion.

The speeches of the Debate Participants will be translated live by a Polish Sign Language interpreter.

The subjects of interest to the Debate Participants will be:

• Problems faced by people with disabilities in the academic environment - are architectural and technical barriers still the primary source of problems? Or something else?
• Stereotypes and prejudices - what problems do non-disabled people have with disability? Do we all too easily generalise, categorise and stigmatise people with disabilities?
• What do people with disabilities need, especially in an academic environment? How do we provide support and enable self-fulfilment 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, regardless of ability level?
• What has already been done, and what are the plans in this area at UG and MUG?

The following speakers will take part in the debate (in alphabetical order):

1. Ms Katarzyna Maciejowska - University of Gdańsk; first-year student of Interdisciplinary Individual Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences
2. Mgr Joanna Matuszewska - Radio Gdańsk; Medical University of Gdańsk; medical journalist, rehamanager and specialist in complex rehabilitation at the UCK Breast Disease Centre, lecturer at the MUG Quality of Life Research Unit
3. Mgr Justyna Rogowska - University of Gdańsk; Plenipotentiary of the Rector for Persons with Disabilities; Project Manager of the 'Accessible UG...' project.
4. Dr hab. med. Tomasz Smiatacz - Medical University of Gdańsk; Vice-Rector for Student Affairs; Plenipotentiary of the Rector for Persons with Disabilities
5. Prof. dr hab. med. Dominika Szalewska - Medical University of Gdańsk; Head of the Rehabilitation Clinic
6. Ms Daniela Walkowska - University of Gdańsk; first-year student of Special Education
7. Mr Daniel Wilczyński - Medical University of Gdańsk; 4th-year student of the Faculty of Pharmacy
8. Moderator: dr Jacek Kaczmarek