Research Board Member at ActivaMent Catalunya Association. PhD in Person and Society from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

Her trajectory as an activist and human rights advocate of the “mad movement” includes, among other things, coordinating various collective initiatives for the defence of human rights based on the CRPD from the organisations of psychiatrised people themselves, particularly in legislative amendments and political representation in governmental spaces. As an academic, she has worked at the intersection of human rights regimes, madness, disability, mental health, and welfare policies, from a genealogical perspective with Foucauldian and feminist influences, as well as qualitative and participatory approaches.

Currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia.

Neurologist. Coordinator of the Bioethics Unit at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu. Member of the Permanent Commission of the Bioethics Committee of Catalonia.

Consultant in Neurology at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu. Master's degree in cerebrovascular diseases (University of Santiago de Compostela, 1995). Master's in Bioethics (Ramon Llull University, 2009). Associate Professor of Bioethics and Neurology at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Vic-UCC since 2017. Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic-UCC since 2022. Vice President of the Research Ethics Committee (Sant Joan de Déu Foundation). President of the Clinical Ethics Committee (Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, since 2011). Member of the Bioethics Committee of Catalonia. Member of the Ethics Committee (Polytechnic University of Catalonia). Member of the Deontological Commission (Barcelona Medical Association) since 2018.

Member of the Spanish Bioethics Committee and Professor of Civil Law at the University of Seville. Judge at the Civil Chamber of the Provincial Court of Seville (1999-2003).

Publications: The Administrator Appointed by Will for the Minor’s Assets; Political Parties and Private Autonomy. Jurisprudence; Open and Closed Information in Adoption and Assisted Human Reproduction Techniques; The Principle of Purpose and Secondary Uses of Human Biological Material in Research Activities; The Protection of the Person in the Field of Biomedical Research. Principles of Spanish Regulation; Law 5/2003 of 9 October on the Advance Declaration of Will in Andalusia.

Director of the Mental Health and Addictions Network of the Girona region (Institute of Health Assistance, IAS). Recipient of the 2016 Medal of Merit in Healthcare and the CatSalut award for the most innovative mental health initiative for the development of this network.

In 2013, following the “Refinement” study, the Girona network was recognised as one of the most efficient mental health networks in Europe. In 2022, WHO Europe highlighted this network as an example of the “effective participation of users and caregivers in the organisation of mental health care at the local level.” In 2023, the IAS, together with the Support-Girona Foundation, was awarded the Zero Project prizes, endorsed by the United Nations, for the creation of innovative solutions such as Espai Obert.

Lawyer and legal advisor for Plena Inclusión Andalucía and the LIBER association. Author and contributor to various books on psychology and law, related to intellectual disability.

He has been a member of the Executive Committee of CERMI and the Spanish Disability Council, a consultative body of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. He was the drafter of the Proposal for the Reform of the Civil Code and the Civil Procedure Law to align them with Article 12 of the CRPD and other legislative initiatives. Director and lecturer in courses and seminars organized by the General Council of the Judiciary and the Office of the Attorney General, as well as a professor in a Master's program on Civil Liability, among others. His participation as an expert in Eurosocial stands out, particularly in the report on access to justice for persons with disabilities in Paraguay.

Human rights lawyer and advocate specializing in disabilities the rights. He has worked extensively with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), focusing on ensuring the inclusion of people with disabilities within international human rights frameworks. His work emphasises the need for states and organisations to adopt inclusive policies that respect the dignity and autonomy of people with disabilities, promoting their right to fully participate in society.

Chávez Penillas is known for his expertise in the intersection between disability and international human rights law and has contributed to the development of policy recommendations and guidelines supporting the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). His advocacy work often highlights the importance of the right to live independently and in the community, as well as the need for broad social transformations towards inclusion and equality.

Technical Director of COCARMI (Catalonia). Social worker. Postgraduate studies in Conflict Resolution and in Couple and Family Therapy. Her professional career has been linked for 20 years to the social third sector and the social and solidarity economy. Among other roles, she has advised organisations for people with disabilities on their management and political advocacy at the local level, organised events, and facilitated various working groups and participatory spaces.

She has coordinated and authored reports on rights violations and materials on rights advocacy in the field of disability. She is a member of various political and third-sector participation bodies. She has extensive experience as a trainer in the associative sector, citizen participation, rights advocacy, mutual aid groups, and social support groups.

Lawyer. Director of Support-Girona and president of iSocial. Activist and international consultant in human rights and disability.

An expert in strategic change in social services organisation management, he is a member of several boards: trustee of the Guttmann Institute Foundation, Drissa Foundation, Arnau d'Escala Campus Foundation, and board member of the Institute of Health Assistance (IAS). Internationally, he is a board member of EASPD, overseeing Policy Impact, and a member of the Advisory Board of IGN. He has been participating in the World Congress on Adult Capacity (formerly known as the World Congress on Adult Guardianship) since 2014.

Managing Director of Som-Fundació. Postgraduate degree in Social Services Management and Administration. Degree in Geography and History. PhD in Theology.

Member of the Advisory and Supervision Commission for non-profit legal entities responsible for the guardianship of minors and/or support measures for people with disabilities in the exercise of their legal capacity. Vice President of the Liber association and member of the Board of Directors and Secretary of Dincat Federation, Plena Inclusió Catalunya, and AEES Dincat. Member of the Board of Directors of CCF. President of ERAESS (Espai Ètica) Dincat. Member of the “Ethics Network” of Plena Inclusión.

Spokesperson for the Independent Living Movement of Garraf. Social Worker. 

Head of the municipal support service for women who are experiencing or have experienced gender-based violence, along with their children and affected family members (Barcelona City Council, 2004-2016). Head of the Independent Living Services Department at the Municipal Institute for People with Disabilities (IMPD) of Barcelona City Council (2016-2021). Mother of a son with an intellectual disability. Founder of the Citizens’ Platform for an Inclusive School in Catalonia and the Citizens’ Platform of Garraf for an Inclusive Business. Currently retired (since 1 March 2021), spokesperson for the Independent Living Movement of Garraf, and president of the Inclusive Society Association of Garraf.

Director of the Supported Decision-Making New York (SDMNY) project at Hunter College CUNY, where she leads New York’s efforts to develop infrastructure and raise awareness of Supported Decision-Making (SDM) as a legally recognised alternative to guardianship. She is a nationally recognised leader in disability services and advocacy, working to build more inclusive communities, advance rights, and promote self-determination and empowerment for people with disabilities. She is also an author, a mother of six, and a captivating speaker. She holds an MSEd in Special Education and Transition from the University of Kansas.

Clinical psychologist at the Specialized Hospitalization Unit for Intellectual Disability (UHEDI) at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu.

Specialist in Clinical Psychology accredited by the Government of the City of Buenos Aires and a postgraduate in Humanities from the University of Barcelona. She has been part of the Carlos III Health Institute’s project "POMONA-SPAIN: Health Indicators for the Population with Intellectual Disability," as well as four lifelong learning programmes of the European Union: Grundtvig (2008-2009 and 2010-2011) and Erasmus Plus (2015-2017 and 2019-2020) for people with intellectual disabilities. For the past 19 years, she has worked in an inpatient unit specialising in people with Intellectual Disabilities and associated Mental Health issues. Since 2023, she has coordinated the Ethics and Intellectual Disability Commission, which operates under the Clinical Ethics Committee of Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu.

Director of the Drissa Foundation, an organisation based in Girona dedicated to employment inclusion and improving the quality of life of people with mental health conditions. Under her leadership, the foundation has developed innovative projects in the fields of mental health, social economy, and sustainability, collaborating with public and private entities to promote the social and professional inclusion of people with mental health conditions. In addition to leading local projects, the Drissa Foundation is also actively involved in international networks such as Social Firms Europe, advocating for mental health at a European level.

Head of the Personal Care Area of ​​the Support-Girona Foundation. Social educator with over 22 years of experience in social and community intervention. 

The Support-Girona Foundation currently provides legal and social support to 1,400 people in the Girona region. The main activity of the organisation is to defend the rights of the individuals it supports, promote, develop, and extend the rights of people with psychosocial, intellectual, or cognitive disabilities due to the ageing process, while also helping individuals pursue their wellbeing, dignity, and preserve their autonomy through legal and social support.

Member of the Board of the EDF (European Disability Forum). Substitute Member of the Board of ENUSP (European Network of (Ex-)Users and Survivors of Psychiatry). Director of the Council responsible for International Relations at Association Advocacy-France. With almost 30 years of experience advocating for people with mental health issues and psychosocial disabilities in France, Europe, and more recently at the UN level, her work includes fighting against the draft protocol of the Oviedo Convention, organising training sessions, collaborating on shadow reports for France and EU reviews, as well as participating in ministerial committees and research initiatives (advanced directives, capacity, mental health plans, and user rights). She has also published articles and made presentations on coercion-free, rights-based care at national and European events. Additionally, she is a freelance legal translator, interpreter, editor, and English teacher.

Expert by experience at UDAF 82 Montauban, Occitania. Departmental Union for Family Assistance. Member of Capdroits, a group from the southwest of France.

Collaborator at Cap’lab, a mixed research community integrating first-hand experiences, university research professionals, and support professionals.

Secretary General of EASPD (European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities), the largest European NGO active in the field of disability services, bringing together over 20,000 organisations from more than 40 countries. Thomas Bignal is also Vice President of Social Services in Europe and has served as Director of the Federation of European Social Employers. Master’s degree in International Law.

Human Rights lawyer specialising in the CRPD and a survivor of psychiatric institutionalisation. She actively participated in drafting the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and continues to contribute to its interpretation and implementation.

She is the founder and president of the Centre for the Human Rights of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (www.chrusp.org). In 2024, she received the Ketil Njaa Solberg Human Rights Award for her fight against violations, abuses, and coercion in mental health care.

Her book Reimagining Crisis Support: Matrix, Roadmap and Policy is available in English and Spanish at www.reimaginingcrisissupport.org.

Psychiatrist, MD, PhD. Trained at the psychiatric hospitals of Salt (Girona) and Valladolid, as well as at the Professional School of Psychiatry in Barcelona. Psychoanalysis with Marta Lázaro. Professor of Community and Preventive Psychology (University of the Basque Country). Professor of Psychiatry (University of Oviedo). Visiting professor at the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom). Research stays in Paris, Lyon, Ghent, and Geneva. Former Director of the Psychiatric Hospital of Oviedo. Former Regional Director of Mental Health in Asturias. Former Mental Health Advisor for the PAHO/WHO in Central America, the Latin Caribbean, and Mexico. Humanitarian emergency missions with WHO in Haiti, Mexico, Guinea Conakry, Kosovo, Colombia, and Honduras.