President Bachelet: “Our priority is to guarantee inclusion and quality of life for the more than 200,000 Chileans living with mental disability”

The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, attended a sport and healthy living event for mentally disabled people, organized by the Fundación Rostros Nuevos, at the Estación Central Sports Center in Santiago. The President was accompanied by the Social Development Minister, Marcos Barraza, and the Sports Minister, Natalia Riffo.

President Bachelet congratulated the Fundación Rostros Nuevos for organizing the event, highlighting that “this is an opportunity to hear about and consider all of the different pathways available to help differently abled people develop their talents, to ensure that their needs are not obstacles, so that everyone is able to realize their dreams.”

Similarly she noted that “our public and private institutions must make every effort to transform Chile into a country that accommodates the individual differences and needs of each and every one of us.”

Referring to the reality faced by many disabled people, President Bachelet acknowledged that “it is a struggle; there are often cultural barriers or prejudices that prevent people from seeing how much of a contribution each person can make, regardless of their individual abilities.”

The President also confirmed that the Government “will continue working on all fronts to ensure that people with disabilities are included in all spheres of society and are able to exercise their rights.”

In her closing remarks she stressed that “our priority is to guarantee inclusion and quality of life for the more than 200,000 people in our country living with a permanent or long-term mental disability and this is something we must all work together to achieve.”