At least 60 professionals from six European countries, working with individuals with disabilities and in municipal corporations, will have been trained upon completion of the EU-RUDISNET program, in order to mentor approximately thirty individuals from the disability community in rural areas in the areas of empowerment and leadership.
In this regard, the training offers these experts the opportunity to delve into topics related to the treatment of people with disabilities in rural areas, services to support their autonomy, mentoring for leadership, effective and empathetic communication, as well as the creation of networks that enhance social inclusion.
These are the results presented during the final conference of the EU-RUDISNET project, held on Wednesday, June 14, organized by the Provincial Federation of Associations of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities of Seville (COCEMFE Sevilla), in collaboration with the Provincial Council of Seville.
During the first part of the meeting, the importance of creating alliances and networks for social inclusion and mentoring for the independent living of people with disabilities in rural areas has been addressed.
The EU-RUDISNET project is enabling “establishing partnerships with Third Sector entities and local administrations in Spain, as well as other rural regions of Europe, thus forming an unparalleled framework to address the debate and challenge of the right to full participation and social inclusion of people with disabilities regardless of the geographical area in which they live,” emphasized the president of the Federation, Juan José Lara.
On the other hand, the President of the Provincial Council, Fernando Rodríguez, has highlighted that “with the aim of promoting naturalness and fostering inclusion, this community program is being deployed,” which “seeks to create a network and mentoring program for people with disabilities, with the aspiration that individuals of this kind become future leaders and agents of change for the improvement of this collective.”
The Director General of Persons with Disabilities of the Junta de Andalucía, Pedro Calbó, has emphasized that “we must be capable of guaranteeing the rights of people with disabilities regardless of where they live, whether it’s an urban or rural environment,” and that “public administrations have the obligation to carry out the necessary actions to ensure these rights.”
The EU-RUDISNET program, co-funded by Erasmus Plus of the European Union, aims to empower the collective by increasing their security and self-esteem, knowledge of their rights, effective communication, and decision-making.
E In this regard, the Councilor of the Audiovisual Council of Andalusia, Rocío Ruiz, has highlighted that “we want an inclusive society, and when we talk about rights, we also include equality, social justice, and equity, highlighting three types of discrimination that occur: women with disabilities in rural areas.”
The conference took place at the headquarters of the Provincial Council and featured the participation of representatives from European entities: Baltic Education Technology Institute (BETI) from Lithuania, Ozara from Slovenia, Consorzio Global Med Care from Italy, Leb from Germany, Istanbul Gelisim Universitesi from Turkey. These entities presented results on the program. Within these results, common issues were highlighted, such as accessibility challenges in rural areas, particularly in transportation, which isolates people with disabilities. This situation limits their opportunities for societal participation at various levels. Additionally, these individuals often feel bound by imposed routines, affecting their ability to make decisions about their own lives.
Organizations from the disability field, such as the Spanish Committee of Representatives of Persons with Disabilities in Andalusia (CERMI Andalucía) and the Spanish Council for the Defense of Disability and Dependency (CEDDD), also participated. Representatives from rural municipalities such as Alanís, Castilleja del Campo, Lebrija, La Algaba, Huévar del Aljarafe, and Olivares attended the event.
Furthermore, entities such as Empowered Youth, Association of Physically Disabled People of Los Palacios and Villafranca (ADIFIPA), Parkinson Sevilla, Association of People with Disabilities Virgen de Consolación APDIS, Frater San Pablo, Tal Como Eres, ALMA Sevilla, Association of Ankylosing Spondylitis of Seville (EAS), Association of Fibromyalgia of Seville (AFIBROSE), Sitting Volley Sevilla, and Alma Federation were present, along with residents of the VITALIA residence.
The event, which saw the participation of over 70 people, was concluded by Rocío Sutil, the Deputy for Social Cohesion and Equality.
With this meeting, 34 months of in-person implementation of the ‘EU-RUDISNET‘ program come to a close.
The entire day was conducted in an accessible manner, with Spanish Sign Language interpretation and simultaneous translation in English.
You can see all the photos of the day in this link
