120,000 Venezuelans With Disabilities Certified for Accreditation and Benefits

Caracas, July 1^st 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – 120,000 Venezuelans with disabilities have been certified for accreditation and corresponding socioeconomic benefits, National Council for Persons with Disabilities (Conapdis) President Édgar Araujo announced yesterday during the Gobierno de Calle, or Street Government, held in Portuguesa state. 

In the announcement, which occurred during a meeting of persons with disabilities in Acarigua-Araure, Araujo also indicated plans of a “massive effort” raise the number of certifications in July. The effort will include psychologists, therapists, and other professionals to attend to nuclear families through the Disability and Family Program.

In specifying disabilities and allowing for access to education and other social programs, “the certification is like an identity card for us,” Araujo said.

To that extent, Conapdis has made the certification a central goal to its agenda for the Street Government program, which has taken place in several states since April.

In order to respond to complaints voiced during the Portuguesa’s Street Government, Araujo indicated that there would be an increased focus on building care and comprehensive training centers.

He added that with its entrance of 40,000 people with disabilities into the labor force, “Portuguesa stands out as one of the leading states.”

The certification effort aims to comply with past government initiatives, which include the 2007 Law for People with Disabilities, which mandates that at least 5% of employees in private and public institutions be of reduced mobility, and the 2008 Mission Gregorio Hernández, which is aimed at diagnosing and treating disabilities in underdeveloped areas.