Why it is important to talk about accessibility in Latam: the case of Comparlante Foundation

By Sofía Bouzón

Did you know that there are 85 million people with disabilities  in Latin America? And the 20% of children with disabilities don’t go to school? Comparlante Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes equity and development for people with disabilities throughout the region. Find out from the director, Lorena Julio, what programs this entity develops to ensure that this sector of the population can fully exercise their rights.

Since its creation in 2014, Fundación Comparlante has been an initiative to reduce the distance between access to education for people with visual impairments, through the use of high technologies. The name “Comparlante” (and also its work) came from the idea of “sharing” through words, through an online collaborative audio library, which is still active and constitutes the organization’s founding Program. 

The story of a nine-year journey

“From this initiative, Fundación Comparlante began its growth trajectory and began to establish itself as a leading organization in the Latin American region in terms of accessibility and promotion of the rights of people with disabilities”, says Julio. Through its programs and services, the Foundation seeks to create more and better opportunities for people with disabilities. For example, through art: “It is a very powerful tool for change, which raises awareness, empowers us, nourishes us and unites us.”

Among the initiatives developed, “Mi Mundo a Mi Manera” stands out, an international children’s literature competition launched in 2017 with a focus on raising awareness of people with disabilities. Girls and boys from a total 15 Latin American countries participated in its two editions. The good reception of this project motivated us to organize its second edition, which took place in 2020. 

Furthermore, in 2019 “Sentimos” was born, a program that uses photography as a support to promote the capabilities of people with disabilities and debunk myths, negative stereotypes and prejudices that generate discrimination. The first photography exhibition “Sentimos La Plata” was visited by more than 13,000 people. Later, at “Sentimos Villarino” (2022), more than 100 thousand people attended! In the same year, they also developed the Consensual Invisibility Exhibition, with the artist Andrés Julio and the support of the Organization of American States, whose objective was to put decision makers in the shoes of people with disabilities. This exhibition was exhibited at the National Assembly of Ecuador and at the Eugenio Espejo National Library as part of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (2022).

Another of the program developed in 2022 was Atracción Circular, a space for learning and development through artistic expression for people with disabilities. In a circle, in a community we create and learn through art

Current perspectives and expectations for the future

This year, our main principal program in Argentina was Accesibilidad Activa: ¡Ponte en Acción! whose objective is to highlight the importance of sport for people with disabilities. We intend to take all the information and experiences of good practices in the access to sport, collected in our “Accessibility Manual for Sports Clubs” to all provinces in Argentina and we managed to reach more than 100 clubs through in-person and virtual lectures. 

On the other hand, in Mexico, together with the University of Guadalajara,  they deepened the impact of their Startup Ability Program, supporting 43 entrepreneurs  with disabilities and their families, understanding that we all have the right to decent work, personal development, and to live an independent life. These are the pillars of the program that uses entrepreneurship as a driver of autonomy and sustainability for people with disabilities.

In nine Latin American countries we offer virtual theater, dance, visual arts, photography and radio classes to people with disabilities through our Circular Attraction Program. 

“Looking ahead to 2024, we seek to sustain and deepen the impact of ‘Circular Attraction Program’. We will give the opportunity for people with visual impairments to be scholarship holders of the program to participate in a face-to-face photography workshop. Furthermore, we want to deepen participation in diplomatic and decision-making spaces, such as the OAS and United Nations forums. We will also continue to disseminate the Accessibility Manual for Sports Clubs, deepening our commitment to institutions and promoting adapted sports”, summarizes its founder.

To find out more about Fundación Comparlante, visit its website here and find out all the news through its social networks: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn

If you would like to support this initiative, click here for more information.