The Cabildo of Lanzarote, through the Area of Social Welfare and Inclusion, and the City Council of Arrecife, actively support the celebration of the Annual Inter-Island Meeting of ASPERCAN (Asperger-TEA Association of the Canary Islands), which takes place this week at the Haría School Residence.
The meeting brings together 45 adolescents and adults with autism grade 1 from Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, who participate in a diverse program of adapted activities, such as hiking trails, visits to natural spaces and tourist centers, as well as workshops and group dynamics aimed at socialization, personal development and enjoyment of the environment.
During the day this past Tuesday, the Minister of Social Welfare and Inclusion, Marci Acuña, accompanied by the councilors of Culture and Social Welfare of the City Council of Arrecife, Abigail González and Maite Corujo, traveled to the municipality of Haría to visit and show their support to the participants of this meeting and the board of ASPERCAN.
In this sense, Marci Acuña highly valued the collaboration between public administrations and private companies for the development of this type of initiatives, as well as the spirit of the meeting "which is fully framed in the Accessibility and Inclusion Strategy that we promote from the Cabildo of Lanzarote, with the commitment to move towards a more just and egalitarian society, in which all people have a place".
"We are fully proud to support this type of activities that allow to generate spaces of coexistence, autonomy and well-being for people with autism and their families. Accessibility is not only a physical issue, it is also emotional, social and educational, and that is what this meeting represents: a society that cares, listens and integrates," said the Minister of Social Welfare.
Make diversity visible and promote real inclusion
For their part, the councilors of Culture and Social Welfare of the City Council of Arrecife, Abigail González and Maite Corujo, respectively, highlighted the importance of continuing to make diversity visible and promoting respect and inclusion. Both highlighted the commitment of the City Council to real inclusion, ensuring that "we will continue working so that all children, equally, can access cultural and leisure activities".
In that sense, Abigail González stressed that "from the Area of Culture we collaborate with the development of this meeting, assuming transportation costs, excursions and other arrangements, so that these four days of coexistence are an enriching and accessible opportunity for all participants. It is very nice to see how they enjoy, share and fully integrate into the experience".
It should be noted finally that, since its foundation in 2005, the Asperger-TEA Association of the Canary Islands (ASPERCAN) works for the defense of the rights of people with autism grade 1 and their families, promoting early diagnosis, access to support resources, educational and labor inclusion and the improvement of their quality of life.