On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Formentera pushes education, awareness

dia-discapacitatjpFormentera's social welfare office will host an array of educational and awareness-building initiatives for International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December. The action starts Sunday the 1st with a charity walk, and culminates on Wednesday the 4th with the island's second “Disability Awareness Day” (Jornada sobre Discapacitat).

The programme is sponsored by Eivissa-Formentera Residents with Special Needs (Apneef); Pau Mayans Association for the Integration of Individuals with ASD (Apmitea); the Formentera chapter of the Spanish Cancer Association (Aecc); the local chapter of the Association for Chemical Sensitivity, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Other Illnesses (Asqsfcfa), and the Pine Islands Group for Educational and Social Inclusion (Apies).

Social welfare conseller Rafa Ramírez welcomed the participation and collaboration of the event's sponsoring groups, not to mention “their crucial work to integrate people with disabilities across society”. Ramírez invited the whole island to join the educational and awareness-building effort, where organisers hope will give visibility to locally-based initiatives.

The following activities are scheduled in the days ahead:

Fundraising walk and benefit festival
At 11.00am on 1 December, participants in the third Caminada Solidària will set out from Jardí de ses Eres on a two-kilometre circuit. Participants can enjoy light snacks once the walk ends, at 12 noon. An adapted wheelchair is also available for individuals with reduced mobility who wish to take part in the walk.

From 8.00pm, the music school band and María José Cardona will perform in a charity festival in the Sala de Cultura. Admission is free. The festival will be presented by Miquel Costa and Carles Batlle. The festival will feature a screening of Iván Hermés’ Disminuir el paso, a film which included the participation of 11 young people with disabilities from the fitness group ANDE Soria. The initiative also enjoyed the support of both the Formentera and Soria film festivals.

Cinema and round-table at Ràdio Illa
On 2 and 3 December from 12 noon to 2.00pm, Wonder, a film by the students of Marc Ferrer High School, will be shown in the Sala de Cultura-Cinema. All December long, a short film aimed at raising awareness about disabilities will run before normal Friday and Sunday programming.

Also, on 2 and 5 December from 10.00am to 10.45am, professionals and family members of individuals with disabilities will gather for another round-table discussion hosted by Ràdio Illa.

Info stand and vending
From 11.00am to 1.00pm on 3 December, groups will set up information booths in Plaça de la Constitució, where items crafted by users of the dependent care facility will be available for sale.

Formentera's second Day for Disabilities
On Wednesday, 4 December, numerous professionals from Eivissa and Formentera will be in the conference from of the dependent care centre for the second Disability Awareness Day. The gathering begins at 9.15am and finishes at 2.00pm.

The programme is as follows:

-9.15am Welcome. Social welfare, administration and transparency chief Rafael Ramírez gives an overview of the day's programme.

-9.30am Determining disability, with Javier González Granados, notary registered with the Notaries Society of the Balearic Islands.

-10.30am New projects and services of the Pine Islands Families of Individuals with Mental Disorders (Apfem). Carmen Córdoba, head of adult service agreements.

-11.00am Presentation by the Eivissa chapter of Mothers of Individuals in the Balearics with Disabilities (Amadiba). Marian Vives, head of the group's family and social care division.

-11.30am Break

-12 noon Formentera's pilot scheme for employability, with Nuria Alandes Mira, chair of Apmitea.

-12.30pm Benefits and public resources for people with disabilities, with Rocío Nemesio Pablos, social worker at Apneef.

-1.00pm Round-table discussion

-1.45pm Closing

28 November 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera