Inclusion for People with Disabilities in Colombia

With the support of GlobalGiving, MAKAIA is taking steps towards social inclusion in Colombia!

In recent years MAKAIA has leveraged of its expertise to the development and capacity building in Information Technology and Communications - ICT - in people with disabilities. Within its efforts to achieve great impacts on this population, the corporation has used both own resources and those obtained through international cooperation. On January 18, NOKIA via crowdfunding platform GlobalGiving UK, awarded to the Corporation MAKAIA a grant that will support their efforts towards social inclusion in the country.

The International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps of the World Health Organisation - WHO, defines disability as "any restriction or absence, due to a deficiency in the ability to perform an activity in the form and within the range considered normal for a human being in its social context”.[1] It is estimated that over 500 million people worldwide have some physical, mental or sensory impairment, and about 80% of these people live in developing countries.[1]

According to the projections of the National Administrative Department of Statistics – DANE, in Colombia there are about 3 million people with disabilities, of which 52% are in their productive age, but only 15,5% do some kind of work. 61% of these people do not receive any income for their livelihoods.

People with disabilities face significant barriers to access to education and employment which hinders their economic and social development. These people are exposed to discrimination and social exclusion, which ultimately prevents them from exercising their rights and freedoms fully.

Thanks to the contributions of each donor, MAKAIA has managed to impact many lives of people with disabilities, and now thanks to the grant received by GlobalGiving, MAKAIA expected through ICT provide development opportunities that enable people with disabilities to grow economic, recreational and personal level. The project will add different partners in order to install or strengthen technological capabilities in different social organizations working for the improvement of the quality of life of this population, seeking to incorporate sustainable strategy in which knowledge and experience can be enjoyed by the target audience.

From Makaia we seize this opportunity to thank all donors and GlobalGiving to support our inclusive and transversal ICT practices that contribute to social development in Colombia.

[1] Parlamento Andino. Recovered from http://www.parlamentoandino.org/csa/documentos-de-trabajo/informes-ejecutivos/38-personas-en-condicion-de-discapacidad.html

Links:

• Makaia is taking steps towards social inclusion in Colombia