Breathe
By Barbara Anderson
For decades, Mexico has governed for little more than 8 out of every 10 inhabitants. "All Mexicans", as the Constitution says, seems to have an asterisk at the bottom that says 'restrictions apply'. Because there are at least 16.5%, 20.8 million Mexicans live with some disability or limitation and are invisible. And, believe me, it is not a superpower that they go unnoticed, it is an iniquity. The presence of disability in the country is even greater. People with some life condition are not isolated entities but live in a family, they have a close circle, so disability stains, touches, reaches and coexists with more than 60% of the Mexican population.
In the country he will govern there are:
● 75% of school-age children not attending any school.
● 76% without access to the health system
● 70% unemployed
● 60% were discriminated against because of their living conditions.
● 55% have not received or have been denied support plans and scholarships.
Madam future President, if you succeed in reversing these figures, you will not only be respecting and enforcing the rights of 100% of the people you govern, but you will also be providing justice to a forgotten sector of the population.
In Mexico, disability continues to be considered as the singularity of a body, as the singularity of an existence, and no progress has been made in any six-year term to modify the conditions of society, the structural conditions (accessibility), the attitudes of other people and the social positions where they are placed: always below those who do not have disabilities.
Disability in the governments that preceded it was seen only under the heading of 'expenses' for the delivery of contributory and non-contributory pensions. Disability in politics was a vote when needed, a discourse of good will but rarely was it an intrinsic part of all decisions at all levels of public administration. Disability in education was only a problem to be solved by some teachers, a particularity that breaks the so comfortable and harmful school homogeneity. Disability in health was a higher expense, a condition despised by private systems and a subject to be avoided by insurance companies. Disability in cities was a complication and accessibility a chimera, when it should be an imperative condition for the complete functioning of a society that deserves to be complete.
Madam future President: people with disabilities in the country you will govern are not vulnerable, but rather their rights are and have been violated.
I ask you to govern for all... for 100%.
*This letter is part of the book PRESIDENTmore than 100 women write to you, coordinated by Yuriria Sierra (Editorial Océano).
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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