The General Director of Equal Treatment of the Government of Aragon, Victoria Alquézar, visited the Parque Goya Occupational Center of Kairós to learn about the initiative from its protagonists.
Self-advocates are people with intellectual disabilities of legal age who organize themselves into groups to analyze the issues that concern them, defend their rights and make the group visible. And precisely led by a group of self-advocates of the Parque Goya Occupational Center of Kairos this year is taking place the "Together and together we add more capabilities", within the framework of a call promoted by the Directorate General of Equal Treatment of the Government of Aragon. The general director, Victoria Alquézar, visited the center this morning to know the initiative from the hand of its protagonists.
This program promotes the exchange of joint activities between high schools and the Kairós occupational center. This year there have already been six meetings, three high schools have prepared activities to receive young people from Kairos, and vice versa, the occupational center has prepared dynamics to share with young people from these institutes. From making murals together to sharing hobbies or musical tastes, the proposals have been varied and have favored a rapprochement and better knowledge among young people from the respect for diversity, equality and non-discrimination.
And as in those meetings, in today's visit, Victoria Alquézar was welcomed by a group of five self-advocate volunteers: Hugo, Fran, Mirella, Pilar and Borja, who guided her visit to the center and presented, with video, photos and testimonies of the participants, the actions promoted by the program "Juntos y juntas sumamos capacidades" ("Together we add capacities").
And the balance and the experience could not have been more positive "the idea was that the exchange was not just visits, but that activities could be prepared jointly between young people from the institutes and our occupational center, so that they had the opportunity to get to know each other better and realize that they share the same tastes and hopes, and the truth is that it has been a great experience for everyone involved," explained Amor Numancia, Director of the disability area in Kairos.
The Kairos Occupational Center in Parque Goya works to improve the personal and social autonomy of people with intellectual disabilities, facilitating their development in various areas such as employment, training, physical and emotional well-being, and community integration. It currently has more than 50 users. Its group of self-managers, made up of twelve users, actively participates in the management and proposal of activities.
A person-centered approach
Kairós always works from a methodology of Person Centered Care, adapting its services and support to the individual needs and preferences of each user. In this way, we seek to maximize the quality of life and independence of the participants, promoting their social inclusion and general well-being.
With more than two decades of experience, Kairós is a social initiative cooperative that has built a network of inclusive projects covering education, employment, housing, and leisure, with the motto "We work for, by, and with people." In addition to its programs for people with disabilities, the organization collaborates on social and employment initiatives for people of any age, background, or circumstance.
With a 360º social vision, from education, social participation and inclusion, Kairós works in projects dedicated to children, youth and families, such as CaixaProinfancia, educational reinforcement, family workshops and leisure and free time activities.
In addition, it has always been committed to social and labor projects that favor and help people in their incorporation into the labor market, in collaboration with different public institutions, private initiative and collaborating companies. It also manages social rental housing and temporary housing for people or family units without resources, while helping them with individual intervention plans.
And in the area of disability and dependence, Kairós works with children, young people and adults with different degrees of intellectual disability and their families, with support in training, occupational and labor, leisure and free time. It has a Day Center and Occupational Center, Adult Classroom, Kentrikes Special Employment Center, Integration Project of Special Education School Spaces (PIEE), Autonomy Apartments and Kambalache Leisure Center.