< strong > Restaurants partners prepare to provide better service for people with disabilities < / strong >

About 10 restaurants, through their representatives, have been trained in "culture and disability" as part of the Cultural Accessibility Programme conducted by the Ministry of Culture (MiCultura) through the Office of Equal Opportunities (OEO), so that persons with disabilities can enjoy their stay in cultural spaces on an equal footing.

The headquarters of the Association of Restaurants and Fits of Panama (ARAP) was the stage for partners at sites such as the NOS Café, Costa Azul, Don Lee, Parrillada Jimmy, Fridays, Zi María Bella Vista and the Executive Hotel to expand their knowledge about what disability is, what types of disability exist, laws and so forth, to be taken into account while addressing a person with disabilities both inside and outside his or her commercial place.

At training, participants did a number of challenges as they drew (by bringing together points to figure out images) in front of a mirror, living with the experience of blindfolded and using a stick, a wheelchair shift with the aim that they felt somehow, and have an intellectual, visual and reduced mobility disability.

On the other hand, Ialys ArRocha and Daysi Villamil both social workers from the OEO of MiCultura have explained to those present that this induction is the first action through the ARAP, that continues with the visit at interested restaurants, to extend this training to the work teams of the respective businesses, to complete with the delivery of copies of menu in Braille system as have been done by restaurants Taberne 21, Nápoli de Obarrio, Enkai at the Casco Antiguo, at the Reg's Reg Museum in Santa Ana and others that will soon receive as Rinos.

At the end of the day, participants agreed with the importance of these training activities that raise awareness and allow them to develop empathy both with partners and with the clients who come to search for local services.

The inclusion of persons with disabilities with respect to the enjoyment of all cultural events includes a number of regulations, including Act 25 of 10 July 2007 on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Act 42 of 27 August 1999, which lays down equal opportunities for persons with disabilities and is also referred to under the general law on culture of Panama.