Stepping out for equality for intellectually disabled in Vera Costa Almeria

FOR the third consecutive year Vera residents have stepped out to show their support for full equality for the intellectually disabled.
Some 400 people took part in Sunday’s march organised by the Asprodalba association for the intellectually disabled in collaboration with the local council’s Social Affairs department.
Setting out from the Plaza, the crowd sporting distinctive green ‘Todos Somos Todos’ campaign T-shirts made their way through the town’s main streets to the El Palmeral fair ground where students at the Asprodalba centre read out a manifesto calling for full inclusion.
“We are all equal, we all have the same rights and we deserve equality of treatment and opportunities”, they told the participants.
This year’s manifesto put particular emphasis on the issue of loneliness.
“Unwished for loneliness is a problem for everyone”, was a central message, adding, “the lack of inclusion and discrimination against people with a disability increases our enforced loneliness.”
The manifesto also called for respect, decent treatment, accessibility and the elimination of barriers and social and family support.
The event was timed to coincide with the International Day for Persons with Disabilities on Tuesday December 3. The initiative also features traditional games, sport, live music, dance classes and a giant paella.