Casa Batlló participates in the international conference Mondiacult, organized by the Ministry of Culture of Spain as part of the global UNESCO agenda, with the presentation Sustainable Heritage and Neurodiversity in World Heritage. The event highlights how cultural management can be a driver for social inclusion and sustainability.
The session features the participation of Casa Batlló and the Specialisterne Foundation, a social organization specializing in the employment inclusion of neurodivergent individuals. The panel brings together professionals from both institutions to explain the scope and lessons learned from this pioneering project.
Location: International Convention Center of Barcelona (CCIB) – MONDIACULT 2025
Date: September 29
Time: 16:00 – 17:00
Room: 212
Participants from Casa Batlló
Ana Acosta, from the Cultural Visit team, presents the origin of the project, which since 2021 has incorporated more than 100 neurodivergent individuals into the visitor team. She highlights how the institution’s change of purpose and the strategic alliance with Specialisterne have been key in redefining the hiring model and fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals.
Alfredo Ruiz, from the Communications department, presents the project’s dissemination strategy, aimed at inspiring other cultural institutions to replicate this model through campaigns, videos, podcasts, and first-hand testimonials.
Amilcar Vargas, from the Heritage department, explains how this project is integrated into the comprehensive management model of World Heritage following the practical guidelines for implementing the 1972 World Heritage Convention.
Participants from Specialisterne
Sonia Yanguas, from the People Management area, highlights the impact of unemployment on the lives of autistic individuals and the challenges of their inclusion in customer service, a demanding field that Casa Batlló demonstrates can be successfully transformed.
Montse Bizarro, from the Marketing and Communications area, shares her personal experience and explains how the shift from a medical model to a social model of neurodiversity opens real opportunities. She exemplifies the adaptations that Casa Batlló has implemented, such as noise reduction and the redesign of work environments.
A model recognized in Europe
In 2025, Casa Batlló receives the European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra, in the Citizen Engagement & Awareness Raising category, for its commitment to the inclusion of neurodivergent individuals in the management of a World Heritage monument.
Inspiring the cultural sector
The conference concludes with a roundtable open to questions, reinforcing the idea that diversity is an essential value for heritage. Casa Batlló’s case demonstrates that it is possible to combine cultural excellence, accessibility, and social innovation, setting a replicable path for cultural institutions across Europe.
More information about the neurodiversity project at Casa Batlló