Juan Cobeñas

Juan Cobeñas is a fellow of the International Disability Alliance 2022-2023 which works on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Juan is also a member of the DRG (Reference Group for the inclusion of Disability in Humanitarian Action).

Juan earned a Bachelor of Literature and Spanish from the National University of La Plata, Argentina, where he is also a post-graduate student of Linguistics. He has an Expert Professional certificate on accessible communication, easy to read, and other resources of UNED, Madrid.

Juan is a person with disabilities and high support needs. He belongs to underrepresented groups of persons with disabilities and advocates for their full representation and participation. He uses a wheelchair and alternative augmentative communication.

Juan is Vice President of the Board of Azul Association, an OPD based in La Plata, Argentina. Being a Youth Action Lab Scholar, he is now a CIVICUS Member. Juan was also a panellist for two days at the General Debate invited by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: 1. On the right to education of persons with disabilities in 2015, 2. On the right to independent living in the community, 2016.

During the 28° session of the Committee on Persons with Disabilities of the UN in Geneva, March 2023, Juan was part of the group of five people with disabilities representing organizations of persons with disabilities of Argentina, presenting the alternative report on the situation of persons with disabilities in Argentina before the Committee.

Juan is a trainer of Personal Assistants for Persons with Disabilities trainings, as well as of Teachers on Inclusive Education.