El Salvador

Inclusive Education Project for the Deaf in El Salvador

(Asociación Protectora del Sordo Salvadoreño, APSSAL)

There are 350,000 deaf or with hearing impairments. This is an important share of the population. However, they have been marginalized from the government projects and programs. The social goods and services offered to this sector is minimal and nobody provides educational and social opportunities for developing their economic potential.

To deal with this situation, parents and professionals designed a project to promote personal development through education for people with deafness or hearing impairment, to be included in the productive dynamic of the country. The project, totally self-funded and with support from different educational centers, has facilitated the use of interpreters in the classrooms, which has allowed many young people to be near to finish high school.

Twenty four young people has been benefited by the project, and seven of them will finish the high school this year. We invite you to know about this experience that proves that inclusive education is possible. To access to a document (Sorry, it is in Spanish!) with details on this experiences, please click here.

Nicaragua

Project 'Aiding the Americas: Providing Medical Aid for Persons with a Disability in Nicaragua'

As of last year, ASNIC entered a collaborative agreement with the Canadian organization WINDSOR COMMUNITY LIVING, whose branch is in the city of Windsor in the province of Ontario, Canada.

Through the project 'Aiding the Americas' ASNIC and WINDSOR COMMUNITY LIVING work together to obtain financing from Canada in order to buy anticonvulsive medicines. These medicines are given out free of cost to low-income families that have a member with a disability who has epilepsy or suffers from convulsions. Most of these families live in rural areas.

Initially, project activities were centered in the city of Ocotal in the district of Nueva Segovia and activities were later expanded to include the city of Camoapa in the district of Boaco and the city of La Dalia in the district of Matagalpa. The project also helps to support ASNIC's medical clinic in Managua where people from the neighbouring towns of Masaya, Carazo and Granada are also attended. Soon to come, the project is aiming to expand its activities to six more cities.

(Taken from ATREVETE magazine, Issue 1. For additional information, please write to asnic@ibw.com.ni)