Intellectually disabled people also hit by economic crisis

DINCAT demands equal rights in a difficult context as special learning centres are hit by job cuts and a reduction in the number of new service centres

Josep Roig

First published: June 16, 2010 04:44 PM

Barcelona (CNA).- A report from the Catalan group of intellectually disabled, DINCAT, demands equal rights in a difficult context. Special learning centres are hit by job cuts and the number of new service centres are reduced, impoverishing the social protection for intellectually disabled.

The DINCAT Group has presented a study claiming that the economic crisis has aggravated the situation of those families with an intellectually disabled member. According to DINCAT director Xavier Masllorens, the current economic context has led to job cuts in special learning centres as well as a reduction in the number of new service centres and a lower number of places on offer. However, the main concern of family relatives is how to reconcile work and family life. In the Catalan working context, suboptimal schedules make it difficult to care for the disabled. Jordi Costa, the vice president of DINCAT, pointed out that they are asking for equal rights and not demanding privileges.

The Universitat Ramon Llull and the Universitat de Girona have cooperated in the study that shows that families are reasonably satisfied with the services they receive. Authors of the study consider that these rights should be better applied and more evenly distributed. Professor Antoni Vilà clarified that such rights were granted in a period of economic boom but now certain aspects of the measures must be reconsidered in order to be sustainable. Consensus on this issue may be difficult to achieve.

Crisis Intellectually Disabled Disability Rights Intellectual Disabilities Soceity