Conference on educational and labor inclusion for the deaf-blind

The conference on "Educational and labor inclusion experiences for the deaf-blind in Norway and Ecuador" organized by the post graduate department and the TICAD group (ICTs for disabilities) at UPS was held last August 8th in the University Auditorium.
The speakers, who are part of the committee of the World Federation of the deaf-blind, were Geir Jenses, President and representative of Norway; Sonia Margarita Villacres, Vice president and representative of Ecuador; and Christer Nilsson, treasurer and representative of Sweden. Mario Puruncajas, President of the National Federation of the blind in Ecuador was also there. 
 

They talked about how Norway's government assigns part of its budget to support the social and basic needs of the deaf-blind. They provide them with guides and interpreters who accompany them locally and abroad, when they represent the World Federation of the deaf-blind, to tell people that their disabilities are not obstacles to work and be part of the workforce that can help organizations fulfill their goals.
 

The international trips are intended to boost people's labor rights as well as being accepted as people with intellectual, physical and spiritual skills.
It was a very successful conference that surely raised people's awareness on this issue. Authorities, professors, students, the visually impaired and overall public pondered about the value we all have as people and acknowledged the speakers who showed their willingness to serve the young.
 

The Ecuadorian representative and Vice president of the World Federation of the deaf-blind Sonnia Margarita Villacres, who holds a Master's degree in Special Education from Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, congratulated the Ecuadorian Government for starting the process of educational and labor inclusion in several organizations and said there should be more financial aid to improve people´s lives. She finished by saying: "DISABILITIES BEGIN WHEN PEOPLE´S WILLINGNESS ENDS" .