Regional Government to present in October evaluation results of social responses for people with disabilities
The Regional Secretary for Social Solidarity revealed in Maia, São Miguel Island, that the Azorean Government expects to present in early October the first results of the AQI programme - Evaluate, Qualify and Include.
This programme is an initiative of the Regional Government that aims to evaluate social responses addressed to people with disabilities, qualify services in terms of infrastructures and in terms of organisational and technical components, and to focus on the inclusion of people with special needs in society.
At the opening ceremony of the new Occupation Activity Centre of "Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Divino Espírito Santo" in Maia, Andreia Cardoso revealed that the evaluation phase is already concluded and that "preliminary results are quite satisfactory."
The works now opened were supported by the Azorean Government in the amount of 1.2 million Euros. They included the construction of a new building d in Maia, municipality of Ribeira Grande, where the Occupational Activity Centre of Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Divino Espírito Santo was installed. The investment increased the existing response capacity to 40 vacancies.
The Regional Secretary also stated that the Regional Government has increased the funds allocated to the operation of this service in order to adjust the necessary human resources according to the characteristics of the new facilities.
"With this work, we wanted to respond to the request for the provision of services to disabled people and their families, as we are by no means indifferent to these legitimate concerns," said the government official.
On the occasion, Andreia Cardoso recalled the investments made in that village, noting that the Regional Government has made an investment of about 6.2 million Euros in Maia, namely in the areas of Social Solidarity and Housing.
"The construction of the daycare centre of "Casa do Povo" of Maia (community centre), the remodelling of the Elderly Support Centre of "Santa Casa da Misericórdia" institutions or the Leisure Centre, which, in addition to the work opened today, make up an investment over five million Euros in the village of Maia in the last six years," said the government official.
The Regional Secretary also mentioned the funds invested in the area of housing, "a fundamental component for the quality of life of families, which have reached 1.2 million Euros and covered 73 families" over the same period of time."
"I am talking about support measures such as the sub-lease agreements with purchase option in São Pedro neighbourhood, the investment in the recovery of degraded housing, the support for the acquisition of housing or even leasing support schemes," said Andreia Cardoso.
According to the government official, all public investment carried out in this village "contributes to the maintenance of people in their communities of origin, where they have established roots or decided to settle, being closer to those whom they have family and friendship ties, i.e., their support network."
Andreia Cardoso also mentioned that all these investments are intended to serve the municipality of Ribeira Grande, with special emphasis on neighbouring villages such as Porto Formoso, São Brás, Lomba da Maia, Lomba de São Pedro or Fenais da Ajuda.