IUT1 is committed to inclusion: workshops and an exhibition at GMP to better accommodate people with disabilities in the workplace

Disabilities, Educational Innovation
November 3, 2025 – November 17, 2025
Students from the GMP department interact with volunteers raising awareness about disabilities
To mark Disability Awareness Month, the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (GMP) has relaunched an ambitious immersive program designed to raise its students’ awareness of the realities of disabilities, whether visible or invisible.
Over the course of two weeks, the workshops provided a real-life immersion into the everyday situations faced by people with disabilities, with a clear goal: to train professionals to naturally incorporate inclusion into their practice and future work environment.
As part of the Personal and Professional Development Program (PPP), this initiative aims to develop the interpersonal skills essential for the professional world: understanding, empathy, and adaptability. Role-playing exercises and testimonials provide students with a practical way to gain an understanding of the needs and challenges faced by those involved.

GMP students testing wheelchair mobility

A rich, engaging, and interactive program

  • 3 partner organizations: APF (November 10 and 13), Association SEP Rhône-Alpes Dauphiné (November 12), AFIPH (November 14)
  • 4 IUT1 instructors have been mobilized
  • An exhibition starting November 3
  • Immersive workshops: sensory impairments (distorting glasses, headsets), motor impairments (wheelchair obstacle courses), and mental impairments (cognitive overload experience)
  • 2 serious games (AFIPH, SEP)

Testimonials from those affected

  • Information resources on disability in daily and professional life
  • A casual buffet to encourage conversation in a relaxed atmosphere
  • A firm commitment to an inclusive society
In carrying out this project, the GMP Department has chosen to educate citizens and future professionals who can recognize the diversity of situations and contribute to environments that are more just, more welcoming, and more humane.

The goals are simple and essential 

  • Develop a genuine culture of inclusion within the company;
  • Promote dialogue about rights, responsibilities, and possible accommodations;
  • Raise awareness of existing resources and the appropriate contacts to reach out to.
Finally, this work is consistent with the initiatives led by the Mission: Specialized Programs at IUT1, which, among other things, helps students with disabilities adapt their academic paths. This is a collective effort aimed at a single goal: making IUT1 a place where everyone can find their place.
Published on November 17, 2025
Updated on November 18, 2025