The Sentirte association, dedicated to improving the quality of life of autistic people and their families, denounces that the current subsidy system of the Arrecife City Council represents "a barrier for entities that do not have financial backing. A model that, far from promoting equal opportunities, penalizes those who work for inclusion from precariousness."
Municipal aid through competitive bidding is granted once the projects are completed, forcing associations to advance the costs. "This practice de facto discriminates against the smallest or newest entities, preventing them from developing social initiatives of great value, essential for many families," they criticize.
“They ask us to do the work that the administration should be doing, but without giving us tools. Whoever does not have a financial cushion is left out, even if their project is necessary and transformative,” explains Saula Rodríguez, president of Sentirte. “It is unfair and deeply contradictory to any public policy that claims to be committed to inclusion,” they say.
The association recalls that this situation "is not new." "Sentirte has been pointing out this problem since the last legislature and demanding a change of model, without its demand for a fairer and more accessible system having been met until now," they state. “We warned then and we say it again now: this model leaves out those who need it most and compromises the well-being of many families,” insists Rodríguez.
In addition, they denounce that this system "creates a comparative grievance between entities, since while some must assume all costs in advance and wait months to receive aid, on many occasions the City Council finances projects directly through nominated subsidies, that is, granted by hand. This practice reinforces inequalities and only favors those who already have guaranteed institutional support."
Sentirte insists on the need for the Arrecife City Council to "review the bases of the calls and consider the possibility of anticipating total or partial aid, as allowed by the General Subsidies Law." They also demand that "the calls be published at the beginning of the year, thus allowing realistic planning by the associations."
The non-profit association promotes the social and educational inclusion of people within the autistic spectrum, defends their rights and offers accompaniment and support to their families.
From Sentirte they call on other groups to "join this demand and demand that the City Council open dialogue tables to review a system that, in its current form, does not bet on inclusion or guarantee equal opportunities."