The Cuban Association of People with Intellectual Disabilities (ACPDI) was recently created in the province of Santiago de Cuba. This new association with legal capacity, has its own anthem, a logo and a well-defined structure that identifies it. The organization aims to bring together all those people who have an intellectual disability to be served in their needs and interests from the municipality where they live.
Juan Alberto Capote Vega, a graduate in Social Communication who currently works in the agricultural UBPC El Tití is taking care of the organizational part of the ACPDI in this municipality for its next creation, offered the details:
“A few years ago ANCI, ANSOC and ACLIFIM had been created but this link remained loose which was that of people with intellectual disabilities, a very comprehensive association that in the country are estimating one hundred thirty three thousand members. Contramaestre has about four thousand people with intellectual disabilities. All these people have a legal representative. They are people who have to be integrated into society because we have to create spaces where they can develop”.
How would this new organization be structured?
“This new organization would be structured by a president and four vice presidents: a vice president of organic functioning, a vice president of inclusion in community life, a vice president of inclusion in social and economic life and a vice president of communication and information, four coordinators and grassroots organizations.”
Would these grassroots organizations be in different village councils depending on the needs ?
“Effectively, we are going to create by districts or councils the grassroots associations that are required in order not to make the distance too long so that they do not have to move a lot, but they should be more than eight people”.
On the progress of the organizational process of the new association in Contramaestre, Juan Alberto continued to explain
Recently this Association was legally created in the province of Santiago de Cuba. Are there plans to take it to the municipalities?
“Yes, it will be taken to the municipalities, but first the conditions must be created; the premises where they will be attended with certain comforts. Today Contramaestre is immersed in a rigorous work to raise awareness among the municipal directors in the town councils and the delegates who attend the different districts to encourage them to join the creation of the new association”.
