The government proposes to create the Universal Accessibility department and integrate it into Mobility

The local government will raise to the next plenary a proposal from the mayor, Toni Pérez, to create the Universal Accessibility department and integrate it within the Department of Mobility, which would be called Mobility, Traffic, Transportation and Universal Accessibility. This has been advanced today by the councilor of the area, José Ramón González de Zárate, who pointed out that the proposal "follows the indications of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces," which in February launched a series of recommendations to local entities, including which was the configuration of a specific management area of ​​this subject.

In addition, the proposal is in line with the motion approved in full last December, also at the initiative of the mayor, for which the corporation showed its "commitment to universal accessibility, recognized as Fundamental Right in the International Convention of the UN on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ".

De Zárate explained that this department would have a "transversal" nature, since accessibility would be incorporated as "an essential and necessary condition in all municipal management", to be taken into account in the design of the "activities, programs and policies" that develop the different areas of the City Council.

Also, and according to the proposal, this department would operate as "a channel through which to channel demands and expectations; process proposals for action; monitoring the accessibility status; prevent barriers, once suppressed, from re-originating; as well as the control of compliance with the parameters established in the corresponding regulations ".

The councilman of Mobility has stressed that "we have been working for two years in accessibility," so the creation of this department and the change of name of the Department "come to corroborate this policy of action." In addition, it has influenced that in the budget proposal for 2018 "there is a very important item, which I hope that it is supported by all, for accessibility" and that it is added to the projects related to this matter included in the Participatory Budget at the proposal of the Neighborhood Council.

"We want to improve the quality of life of people who have some type of disability and make the city much more comfortable for them," he said.