Dear Mrs. Rubilar: Because you are the current minister of social development, I contact you to talk about inclusion in our society. In Chile there are about 2 million 836 thousand 818 people with disabilities, which is equivalent to the 16,7% of the population according to ENDISC 2017. We need to put ourselves in these people shoes; How it would feel going to a place that doesn’t have the accessibility that you need? Nothing written in braille, nobody that knows sign language, not even a single wheelchair ramp, etc. We cannot ignore this; we must do something about it. Disability by definition is “who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory deficiencies that, by interacting with different barriers, may prevent their full and effective participation in society”, life is unnecessarily unfair for them so I thought about some measures that could help. First of all, from the beginning of the school stage every student has to be taught about disabilities and how to react to them (with respect and kindness), they also should have a compulsory subject where they can learn sign language and how to contribute for a better society. The second idea I have in mind is about public infrastructure, improving the routes and equipping them for people with sight problems and those who use wheelchairs (hopefully get rid of stairs at public spaces). And last but not least, remember that all of us worth the same and have the exact same rights. We need you; you are the only one that can help us. Sincerely, Ignacia Barrera
