The Provincial Federation of Associations of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities of Seville (COCEMFE Seville) organised, last Friday 16th July, a telematic discussion group in the framework of the Re-adjusting to Life project, co-financed by Erasmus+ of the European Union.
The president of COCEMFE Seville, Juan José Lara, a person with an acquired disability, stressed that “the participation of the entity in the project aims to help people with an acquired disability to face their new life at the moment, and to know which services and resources they can turn to”.
In the discussion group, in which 10 people (6 men and 4 women) participated, the personal circumstances of each participant, all with disabilities acquired in adulthood, were analysed and their experiences in the development of their new lives were presented. The aim is to pass on knowledge to other people in the same conditions, from the countries of Turkey, Greece, Spain and the United Kingdom, so that they feel accompanied in a new process of adaptation towards different lives.
During the meeting, the participants discussed how to adapt to a new normalisation of life after having diminished capacities, how to face challenges and vital aspects such as sex, parenthood and motherhood, among others. Emphasis was placed on the importance of veteran disability practitioners acting as mentors to transfer their skills to people who are new to the field.
Children, young people, adults and the elderly, all of them gradually assimilate the acquired disability, regardless of their age or the time at which it happens. In this, being part of the group and the relationship with it plays a fundamental role that allows them to make their lives more bearable.
Thus, the discussion group uncovered certain actions that are necessary for all people who enter the world of disability anywhere to feel that they are still part of society as it is. In this sense, psychological care during the first stages of assimilation of the new reality, as well as the existence of associations in the municipalities dedicated to working for the disabled and helping them in various areas, can boost the optimism of people with limitations in their movements.
“In short, the aim is for these people to see themselves as capable again, integrated into society, with activities and a social and active life with equal opportunities as the rest, through, obviously, a learning process. Isolation should not be an option and the feeling of being proud to be alive should prevail, because disability is not the end of life”, said the Federation’s European projects coordinator, Encarnación Barrera.
