The Community presents the works of 1500 handicapped people at the 4th Metro Handicraft Exhibition

Fermosel opened the exhibition to which users of the public centres in the region have contributed with fashion jewellery, woodworking and leather items, amongst others. Through these works, users of the centres develop their skills, social relations and self-reliance. The exhibition, which starts today and finishes this Thursday, sets out to make society more familiar with disability by means of these works. The Regional Government is increasing the budgetary allocation to disability by 23 million in 2014, up to a total of 338 million euro. Madrid is the only Autonomous Community that devotes specialised attention free of charge to handicapped people.

The Community of Madrid has organized the 4th Handicraft Exhibition of Regional Centres for the Intellectually Handicapped. 1500 handicapped people from the 13 Regional Social Welfare Service Care Centres for the Intellectually Handicapped have placed their works on display in the forecourt of Chamartín metro station. The exhibition, which starts today and finishes this Thursday, sets out to bring disability closer to society by way of the works that have been produced this year.

The Regional Secretary for Social Affairs, Jesús Fermosel, opened the 4th Handicraft Exhibition, which consisted of 13 stalls, one for each centre. “With this exhibition we are putting the work of handicapped people on display, something which is of great importance because we can get first-hand knowledge of the work produced every day of the year by these young people at their centres. It is a splendid opportunity to buy a token gift on the occasion of these Christmas festivities, so I invite all Madrilenians who pass through Chamartín Station to get to know the stalls set up there”, stressed Fermosel.

These works develop their skills and self-reliance

All year round these people make fashion jewellery, woodworking, book-binding, gardening, textile, pottery, leatherwork, painting or glass items, amongst others, which are produced in any case at the different workshops operated by the centres and through which users further develop their skills, social relations and self-reliance. The products on display are very varied and are surprising for their extraordinary quality, which is achieved thanks to the dedication, effort and use of their creative abilities by the participants in the exhibition.

People who visit the stalls will be able to verify the creation process on the spot thanks to the demonstrations that are carried out by some of the craftsmen. Those who visit Chamartín Station on 10, 11 and 12 December will also be able to watch this work, which will be carried both during the morning and the afternoon.

The users of the centres are 18 years old. In fact, although the age range is very wide, the average age lies between 30-40. In addition, we should point out that over 80 people, including the actual users, professionals from the centres and representatives of the parents’ association will be attending the stalls on these two days.

A total of 338 million for disability in 2014

The Regional Government has ratified its commitment to the care that it provides for handicapped people by increasing the budget allocated for this item in 2014 by 23 million, to reach a total of 338 million euro. “We should point out that Madrid is the only Autonomous Community in Spain that offers specialised care free of charge to handicapped people”, asserted Fermosel.

Other courses of action envisaged in this area include carrying out 40,000 examinations and appraisals of handicapped people, performance of 1200 highly specialised therapies (300 of which correspond to adults and 900 to early care treatments for minors) and 63,000 information and guidance services for these people in the social and employment area. Furthermore, 10.05% more will be allocated to upkeep of the network of centres for the intellectually, physically and sensorily handicapped with more than 13,000 places.

“Over 1.2 million euro will also be assigned to improving the access of handicapped people to the job market and cooperation will be maintained with initiatives undertaken by the ONCE Guide Dog Foundation and the Spanish Committee of Representatives of Handicapped People in the Community of Madrid (CERMI-Madrid)”, said Fermosel.

Pioneering resources for integration

The Community possesses pioneering nursing homes in cerebral paralysis, medullar lesion and multiple sclerosis or special employment centres, amongst other facilities. In addition, the Regional Executive maintains programmes that facilitate independent living or access to housing, education and transport.

“Our aim is to ensure that people with a disability should have the same opportunities of exercising their rights and having access to education, health, entertainment or sport in equal conditions and, naturally, of being able to obtain the training that will allow them to reach the job market properly prepared”, concluded Fermosel.