The Department of Social Welfare of the Arrecife City Council has supported during the 2025 exercise the development of the project “Including Ourselves Arrecife”, promoted by the Creciendo Yaiza Social Association, an initiative aimed at improving the quality of life of boys, girls and adolescents with disabilities or at risk of suffering from them, as well as their families.
This project is part of the stable work that the entity develops for years on the island of Lanzarote, offering therapeutic, educational, and social resources aimed at this group. The subsidy granted by the Arrecife City Council has allowed to reinforce during 2025 different actions that are developed in the municipality and that respond to a growing demand from families.
Currently, a very significant part of the people served by the association resides in Arrecife, where numerous cases of minors with special educational needs or functional diversity are concentrated, whose families, in many cases, have difficulties accessing specialized therapies or specific support. Through this project, comprehensive care is offered that combines rehabilitative therapies, inclusive activities, family accompaniment, and psycho-pedagogical support within educational centers.
Among the actions, specialized therapies stand out, such as speech therapy, pedagogy, physiotherapy, psychology, or occupational therapy, designed individually to promote the biopsychosocial development of minors. These interventions contribute to improving communication, motor development, personal autonomy, and social integration of the participating children and adolescents.
The project also promotes spaces for coexistence and inclusion through cultural, sports, and leisure activities, such as inclusive swimming, theater, dance, or creative workshops, where minors with and without disabilities participate. These initiatives foster socialization, self-esteem, and the learning of values such as equality, empathy, and respect for diversity.
Another of the fundamental pillars of the program is support for families. Through orientation and counseling sessions, information is provided on resources, aid, and procedures related to disability, while support networks are created among fathers and mothers who share similar experiences and needs.
Likewise, the project contemplates actions within the educational field, collaborating with school centers to offer psycho-pedagogical support to students with specific educational support needs, favoring their participation in the classroom and in school life in equal conditions.
The Councillor for Social Welfare, Maite Corujo, has highlighted the importance of this type of initiatives to build a more inclusive society. “From Arrecife City Council, we continue to bet on projects that put people at the center and that help ensure that all boys and girls have the same opportunities, regardless of their circumstances,” she stated.
Corujo has also stressed that “the work carried out by the Creciendo Yaiza Association is fundamental for many families in the municipality, since it not only offers specialized therapies, but also accompaniment, guidance, and coexistence spaces that promote the real inclusion of minors with disabilities.”