translated from Spanish: First Regional Disability and Inclusion Roundtable created for the Metropolitan Region

In a regional congress that was held remotely on the morning of May 29, the first Table of Disability and Inclusion of the Metropolitan Region took place. The election of the members, which was held between May 24 and 28 online among people with disabilities in the RM, had 4315 validly cast votes, where finally 11 candidates were elected, one for each constituency of the Metropolitan Region. The Regional Table will be composed of 5 women and 6 men: Carolina García, Lidian Garrido, Pamela Raipán, Silvia Carrasco, Verónica Concha, Raúl Arrollo, Patricio Bascuñán, Eric Rodríguez, César Rodríguez, Ángel Calderón and Javier Figueroa.Al regard, the president of the Metropolitan CORE, Councilor Rodrigo Cornejo, said “to thank the election that has been given for this Regional Table, where it has been the peers themselves who have chosen their leaders. It has also been the will of our Regional Council, of our 34 councillors, to build a regional policy on disability and inclusion. And in that sense, we believe that the disability table should have the active participation of democratically elected members, and where proposals can be channeled and coordination with the authorities of the Region can be achieved.” For his part, César Rodríguez, elected member of the new regional table, said “this instance of disability has a long job and we hope to be convened as soon as possible to channel what people with disabilities and their families want in this region. We are available to everyone. Disability is a human condition and, therefore, we want to soon be the region where all people enter through the same door.” Since March 22 of this year and position of Inclusive NGO, pre-congresses (16) and plenary congresses (3) have been held in all the provinces of the Metropolitan Region, surveys and forums have been held in order to gather information and generate technical inputs to know and reflect on the problems of people living with disabilities. , as well as measures and suggestions for effective inclusion. A regional diagnosis of disability that – it is hoped – will be the main input for the decision-making of the Regional Table and also for the new public policies of the Metropolitan Regional Government around this issue. In this sense, Mayor of the Metropolitan Region, Felipe Guevara, said “we are very happy because, together with the Regional Government and its president, Councilor Rodrigo Cornejo, we have committed to incorporate the conclusions of the regional congress on disability into the Regional Development Plan so that disability is a fundamental pillar of our Metropolitan Region”.

Original source in Spanish