UNAM hires first professor with cerebral palsy

Next week, Matías Alaniz Álvarez will become the first professor with a disability to be hired by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) .

He will teach at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences through the Open University and Distance Learning system (SUAyEd) from the UNAM.

“To paraphrase what Neil Armstrong said when landing on the Moon: This is one small step for me, but one giant leap towards inclusion,”

stated the teacher after sharing the news with his family and friends.

Ever since Alaniz Álvarez was an undergraduate student, he realized that distance teaching was a good career choice for him.

“From the moment I realized I was qualified enough, I started looking for a way of becoming a teacher.”

Matías suffers from a condition called athetoid encephalopathy, a form of cerebral palsy that affects speech, vision, and movement. However, this did not stop Matías from passing his college entrance exam at the university, nor did it stop him from presenting a thesis and gaining an academic degree.

His mother, Patricia Alaniz, has encouraged him constantly. Furthermore, Matías uses a special wheelchair with a JAWS screen reader , making it easier for him to communicate.

“This achievement shows that people with disabilities have the capacity to perform substantial employment under equal conditions when we are given a chance. I will devote all my efforts to prove that this sort of disability is not an impediment to human development,” he stated.

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