Inter-Cultural Exchange Ezcaray (Spain)
Participants: 42 persons including 30 persons with intellectual disabilities.
Countries present: Poland, Slovakia, Italy, Germany and Spain.
Ten days of laughter and sharing ... Extraordinary!
The words were not always there, but the expressions, gestures or games are sometimes more important to understand and communicate. Apart from some brief
contacts, I had never worked with a public mental disabilities. My EVS in Spain gave me the chance.
Thanks to the blog Moving Generation, I'd just answer two questions that often come:
● A mentally handicapped is not mentally ill. These people have a learning disability or communication more or less important. They have some difficulties peculiar to each, but are by no means "crazy" and dangerous.
● There is no fear or pity to have in seeing or working with them. They are people filled a lot of humor, who likes to tease, and that may well make fun of you! They have different characters, like us "normal". Maybe they have more perseverance ...
I really want to live an experience with people with intellectual disability. This is obviously even more interesting when they come from those cultures completely different!
Melanie
