US economic blockade affects people with disabilities in Cuba

 

HAVANA, Cuba Oct 11 (ACN) The blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba for more than six decades has hindered the effective social inclusion of people with disabilities in the country and the improvement of their standard of living.

In statements to the Cuban News Agency, Fausto Riquenes Nicot, vice president of the Cuban Association of People with Physical and Motor Disabilities (AClifim by its Spanish acronym) said that in the 2020-2024 period, the organization has gone through a significant deficit in the acquisition of mobility aids, causing a significant increase in all the necessary means to improve the quality of life.

The greatest demand is identified in wheelchairs, surpassing 10,000, due to the lack of parts and pieces to repair the existing ones that suffer damages during their use, due to the lack of financing for the importation of the resources, he explained.

In spite of this, the Cuban authorities have expressed their willingness to offer innovative alternatives and through national production, 1,270 wheelchairs were acquired.

The unilateral coercive measures, despite the considerable resources and efforts allocated by the State to this sector, affect the acquisition of crutches, canes, sanitary chairs, aseptic material for people with severe disabilities, material for prostheses and orthopedic footwear, he added.

On many occasions they must be acquired through intermediaries, which results in a significant increase in costs, the vice president continued.

Thanks to the actions of solidarity and international cooperation, the Religious Ministry “Joni & Friends”, the Refuge of Hope Project and Quisicuaba donated wheelchairs and mobility aids for children and people with severe disabilities, stated Riquenes Nicot.

Cuba has an educational system aimed at people with disabilities and their access to health services.

In recent years, work has been done to eliminate architectural barriers to facilitate their daily access to any service, as well as social programs to facilitate their participation in the cultural and social life of the country.