Mexico Hosts First Forum of Youths with Disabilities: "Because youths have an opinion too..."
Interview with Pao Mena Rojo by Cyberpasos
On January of this year, we were able to make contact with the Mexican youth advocate, Pao Mena Rojo, just before the celebration of the Forum of Youngsters with Disabilities, an activity which was a part of the IV Congress of United by Disability, held March 13 to 15, 2002 in Mexico City.
Pao is 23 years old, majoring in Communications and Public Relations and is blind.
She is an advocate of disability rights for young persons with disabilities and has participated as a panelist in many forums and congresses. She said, "During these activities I get caught by the enthusiasm, the dignity and the desires to live as those contenders with disabilities who are leading the way, eliminating barriers and fighting for inclusion in society. I believe that persons with disabilities must be heard when they express their needs, hopes, and challenges, and when they tell about how they perceive their surroundings. They are the ones who best understand their own situation and, working near those who have studied disability issues, they are in the best position to find the different solutions."
Cross-disability experience from five countries
We asked Pao to tell us if the objectives of this First Forum were met:
CBP: Pao, ¿How many youngsters and how many countries participated at this event called "Because Youths Have an Opinion too? Tell us something about their ages and disabilities..."
PAO: First I like to thank you for your interest in this activity. I would like to say that this was the first such activity in Mexico. It was a very interesting event because we heard young voices from Chile, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, United States, and Mexico. The ages of the participants ranged from 20 to 26 and we had a real cross-disability experience. There were people representing nearly the whole spectrum of disability: visual, limited mobility, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and spina bifida.
It is important to mention how satisfied we all were because around 80 persons with and without disabilities participated in this First Forum. All these young persons made presentations, questions and shared their own experiences and valuable suggestions. The whole experience was great. It is worth mentioning that there were physicians, lawyers, communicators, teachers, and diplomats at the Forum.
CBP: ¿Do you think that young persons with disabilities are starting to participate in decision making processes that foster their inclusion in society?
PAO: From what I mentioned, as we are beginning to be heard by decision makers, then we begin to take firm steps for establishing public policies to improve social development.
CBP: ¿In Latin America, which are the leading countries in the field of providing participation of young persons with disabilities in decision making?
PAO: Chile, Nicaragua, and Argentina are examples of countries providing participation of young persons with disabilities in making decisions.
CBP: ¿Do you have a message for young people with disabilities in Latin America?
PAO: Something that we must not forget is the fact that there is a cultural diversity and differences of thought that also characterizes young persons. I am convinced that this type of international events must be fostered as means of integrating young people of disabilities. The objective should always be to include, not isolate. Only with these efforts will we achieve in our countries the necessary force for us to fully participate, socially, professional, and politically in our respective societies. To reaffirm these ideas, permit me to use a phrase by the anthropologist Santiago Genovés: What does it mean to move forward? To try to understand more and more, and judge less or nothing. Because youngsters also have an opinion..."
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