Maria Teresa Grimal Reyes, 27 years old, is a cooperative and happy young woman and an example of social inclusion of people with Down Syndrome in the province of Holguin.
A beautiful story of family and personal overcoming, have accompanied her life, full of much love and courage and taste for music, identify the girl, one of the new members of the Cuban Association of People with Intellectual Disability (Acpidi).
Despite her condition, she manages to cooperate in household chores, go to the theater, do some shopping and self-validate in personal hygiene, skills grounded by multiple social programs implemented since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959.
In her life, the interaction with other young people, fostered by the founding group of the organization has been decisive to achieve these advances and to formally become a member is a dream come true, said Teresita de los Ágeles Reyes Fernández, María Teresa’s mother.
She specified that Acpidi represents the opportunity to identify the particular characteristics of each case and to support patients and legal representatives, as well as to contribute to personal development.
She emphasized that through this group it is possible to have a positive impact on learning, the practice of skills and the defense of the rights of this vulnerable population group, in addition to offering psychological guidance to the families.
The process of affiliation to Acpidi, developed in the eastern territory, will gradually include the 10 health areas of the head municipality and will allow the comprehensive evaluation of each case by a multidisciplinary team, informed Sandra Guris Hidalgo, an official of the Provincial Directorate of Public Health.
The strategy will be extended in stages to other municipalities, as the management groups in charge of data processing are constituted, she stressed.
This association, constituted in 2023, has among its purposes to promote inclusive development through the promotion of rights and opportunities, access to new technologies and scientific research focused on these purposes.
Cuba has more than 150,000 citizens with intellectual disabilities, of which more than 18,000 are from the province of Holguin, which makes it the second in the Caribbean island with the highest incidence of this indicator.
With information from the Cuban News Agency / Translated by Radio Angulo
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