The City Council of Lebrija presents the Gold Medal of the City to the Juan Díaz de Solís Association for five decades of work with people with disabilities and their families.
The Juan Díaz de Solís Association, known as AJUDISLE, received the Gold Medal of the City of Lebrija on September 24 in an institutional event held at the Juan Bernabé Municipal Theatre, which served to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the entity. The granting of the distinction was unanimously approved by the Municipal Corporation Plenary in June, as reported by the City Council of Lebrija.
Municipal representatives, members of AJUDISLE, families of the users, and a representation of the local associative fabric attended the event. The day was conceived as a recognition of five decades of commitment, participation, and work in favour of inclusion and equal opportunities in Lebrija.
During his speech, the mayor of Lebrija, Pepe Barroso, highlighted that the Gold Medal not only recognises a trajectory but everything that AJUDISLE has built over these fifty years. The mayor valued the services, programmes, and opportunities developed by the association and stated that its work has contributed to transforming the lives of many people and also to transforming the city itself.
“The Gold Medal does not only recognise a trajectory but everything that AJUDISLE has built over these fifty years,” said Pepe Barroso.
The mayor also emphasised the role played by families since the entity's origins and wanted to extend the recognition to all the people who have been part of AJUDISLE over these five decades: families, professionals, volunteers, boards of directors, and especially the users.
The manager of the association, Paco Galán, reviewed the origins of AJUDISLE and the evolution experienced by both the entity and society regarding the visibility and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. Among the resources and projects developed throughout its trajectory, he mentioned the establishment of a Special Education School, an Early Attention Unit, a Day Unit or Occupational Centre, a Special Employment Centre, employment insertion programmes, social participation, and leisure activities, among other initiatives.
Galán also referred to the recent creation of a Day Stay Unit for severely affected individuals and the new challenges the entity faces to continue advancing in the care and autonomy of people with disabilities. In his speech, he highlighted the role of families, professionals, volunteers, and collaborators who have accompanied the association over these five decades, as well as the strength and resilience of the users.
For her part, the president of AJUDISLE, Maica, expressed the entity's gratitude to the Municipal Corporation for granting the Gold Medal, as well as to the mothers and fathers who promoted the association and to the people of Lebrija for their support over the years. She also had words of recognition for the people who work daily in the entity and contribute to the care and support of those who are part of the AJUDISLE family.
The association was founded in 1976, driven by a group of mothers and fathers who decided to organise themselves to defend the rights, integration, and well-being of their children, at a time when there were hardly any specific resources for the care of people with disabilities. Five decades later, the Gold Medal of the City recognises that trajectory built collectively.
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