People with hidden disabilities will receive attention from an unprecedented program in MS – Cities

On the afternoon of this Tuesday (2), which is World Autism Awareness Day, a program by the Government of Mato Grosso do Sul was launched in the Bioparque Pantanal auditorium that promises to help improve society’s relationship with people who have some hidden disabilities such as ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and cerebral palsy, for example.

Governor Eduardo Riedel participated in the event together with First Lady Mônica Ridel. The Secretary of Citizenship, Viviane Luiza, and representatives of institutions that defend the rights of people with disabilities in Mato Grosso do Sul, as well.

MS Acessível will be the name of the action which, according to the government, is unprecedented in the State and in Brazil.

Eduardo Riedel highlighted that it was launched for “Mato Grosso do Sul to continue developing without leaving anyone behind” and in partnership with civil society institutions that have been fighting for years to give visibility to “disabilities that have no face and are misunderstood” because they do not be easily noticeable to most people.

Measurements – In practice, the program envisages offering courses to state public servants from all cities in Mato Grosso do Sul, teaching them how to serve people with disabilities and their companions with respect and empathy in places such as the Detran (State Department of Traffic) and other departments that serve the public. Anyone who is qualified will receive a white cord and will be able to serve them with priority.

What will facilitate the identification of the priority group will be the use of the green lanyard printed with a sunflower, a symbol that is recognized worldwide and validated in Mato Grosso do Sul by state law of 2022. Another pioneer was this legislation, added the governor. A federal law establishing the measure came only later, the following year.

Companies are already looking for the government to train their employees as well, but this will only be possible after the employee training is completed, as stated in the launch. 780 are certified so far.

Furthermore, MS Acessível will unite other government departments to promote actions aimed at the integration of people with hidden disabilities, as explained by the Citizenship Secretary. “We have an accessible tourism project that will start in Bonito, we will map public policies [para pessoas com deficiência nos municípios]and an action to improve the insertion of people with disabilities in the job market”, he mentions.

The government estimates that Mato Grosso do Sul has 9 thousand inhabitants with some hidden disability. The data is not official, but it was commented today at Bioparque Pantanal.

I didn’t know and I admit it – During her speech at the launch, the first lady admitted that in her own speech she noticed terms considered prejudiced and lack of knowledge about how broad the needs of people with disabilities are.

“In the first public event I participated in with mothers of people with disabilities, I saw that I said the wrong things and thought that a ramp was enough for accessibility. Ignorance that most people may have, a barrier [a vencer]”, said Monica.

She reinforces that the use of sunflower cords is an ally and will be distributed by the government, including. “It seems like a simple thing, but the simpler it is, the greater the adoption,” she said.

Best moment – President of the association of mothers of people with ASD, Naina Dibo celebrated this Tuesday as “the most important day of the year” for the family and for the entire community of people with hidden disabilities.

“Even when we talk about the cordon [de girassol]the majority of people with disabilities still experience attitudinal barriers”, he highlights. The term means prejudiced behaviors or attitudes that still prevent access to environments, coexistence or relationships, whether intentionally or not.

The Undersecretary of Public Policies for People with Disabilities, Telma Nantes, classifies this as “the best time to implement public policies” for this group. “Around 21% of the population has a disability, this program is a ‘weapon’ that they have now”, she concludes.

Down Band – Made up of 22 people with Down syndrome and seven with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), the group opened the launch event playing “Ana Julia” by Los Hermanos, in the instrumental version.

The inclusion of people with autism is new for the band, which has existed in the Capital for 18 years and only admitted people with Down syndrome until recently.

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