“In terms of disability, the “inclusive” shift must leave no one by the wayside”

2023-04-25 12:00:06

La 6^e National Disability Conference (CNH), April 26 at the Elysée, should be an opportunity to affirm France’s ambitions in this area for the years to come. Voices are being raised, particularly within international institutions, to call on France to “deinstitutionalize” its disability policy, i.e. to stop building, or even close, establishments specializing in the care of people with disabilities.

This recommendation is in line with the legitimate desire of many people with disabilities to access a less stigmatizing and more independent way of life: staying at home with their family, being educated in ordinary classes, accessing common law jobs, in short, to be fully included in society.

We strongly defend this inclusive society project. Only on condition that it is a guarantee of quality, that the possibility of choosing remains and that it meets the needs of people with disabilities. The “inclusive” turn must leave no one by the wayside. However, in the current political context, where the reduction of public expenditure acts as a policy, this “shift” announced by the government first raises fears of a desire for budgetary savings.

Very diverse situations

Above all, the lack of establishments produces, in practice, dramatic results for the people concerned, as can already be observed in certain areas that are severely lacking in medico-social solutions. This is the case of Seine-Saint-Denis, which has the largest deficit in mainland France, with an equipment rate three times lower than the national average.

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In fact, the notion of “disability” today covers very diverse situations, many of which continue to require support in everyday actions and situations. In the absence of the possibility of reception in establishments, or of support at home by specialized professional services, the responsibility for this support shifts to other institutions, which are themselves often weakened.

This is the case of the school, towards which the children are directed, including those with the most severe disabilities, often without the support of a support person for students with disabilities ( AESH) is offered to them.

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Today, for Seine-Saint-Denis alone, there are nearly two thousand five hundred children waiting for an AESH. The consequences are catastrophic: among these children, only one in five attends school full-time, and 44% do not attend school at all. For lack of means, these children undergo a degraded, dotted schooling, which we absolutely cannot qualify as ordinary and even less inclusive.

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