03/12/2018
The Bridging the Gap project held its annual event in Madrid focusing on inclusive education for people with disabilities
Members of the second round table at the event
Bridging the Gap, a project funded by the European Union and managed by FIIAPP, held its 2018 annual event in Madrid under the title “Facing the Challenges of Ensuring Quality, Inclusive and Equitable Education”, which brought together institutional representatives, development professionals and organisations working on behalf of people with disabilities.
The event included two round tables that identified the main challenges for ensuring inclusive education policy planning and the inclusion of gender mainstreaming in these policies.
In relation to this, it has been highlighted that the rate of school drop-out of people with disabilities amounts to 43%. Likewise, only one out of every four people with disabilities enters the working world. These data indicate that there is still a long way to go along the road to integration.
Furthermore, it has been pointed out that access to education is not the same for girls as it is for boys, since they very often suffer aggression and abuse at school. “It is very important to improve mechanisms to include girls with disabilities in the education system”, said Ola Abu, director of research and global influence with Leonard Cheshire.
The meeting was opened by FIIAPP director Anna Terrón, who was accompanied by figures from the other organisations managing the project, such as AECID. Also present was the executive secretary of the National Secretariat for the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SENADIS), César Martínez.
