An ultimatum ? This Tuesday, the Handicaps collective, which brings together 51 national associations representing people with disabilities and their families, gave voice to three months before the presidential election.
During a press conference, he first took stock of Macron’s five-year term, then listed his most urgent demands for the next tenant of the Elysée. The collective also invites all candidates on March 3 and 15 to participate in a “grand oral” in video. History of imposing their concerns in a presidential campaign poor in debates on social subjects.
Halftone balance sheet
“This government likes self-satisfaction,” tackles Arnaud de Broca, president of the Handicaps collective. But if many sites have been opened, not all have led to an improvement in the living conditions of disabled people. And the associations rely on concrete examples: “the allowance for disabled adults (AAH) has been upgraded
[passant de 808 en 2017 à 903 € en 2022], but additional resources (for people who have AAH and cannot work) has been deleted [en décembre 2019], illustrates Arnaud de Broca. The government refused to individualize the AAH (that is to say that it is decorrelated from the resources of the spouse). On education, efforts have been made, but we still have thousands of children who are not in school. A status of accompanying students with disabilities (AESH) was created, but it is very precarious and insufficient. »
All disability stakeholders have also been sounding the alarm for a few months: establishments receiving disabled children and adults are short of arms. To the point that some have to close services… Like the Les Mésanges medical-educational center in La Motte-Servolex in Savoie, where Loris, a 20-year-old polyhandicapped young man, spends his weeks. His mother, Véronique Davallet-Pin, wanted to show her concern about the wave of departures in this establishment. Mom and in parallel, AESH for eleven years, she is “on both sides of the barrier of contempt”, she summarizes. With the collective of parents “A bout de souffle”, she organizes demonstrations, solicits deputies, “but we do not see the end of the tunnel”. His fear? That the specialized institution, in which Loris spends five days and three nights a week, closes. “Until this fall, it resisted. But on the exhaustion of the months of fight against the Covid-19 was added the obligation to vaccinate caregivers… The professionals are leaving one after the other. I don’t play politics, I just see the extent of the damage. »
Structures very weakened by the crisis
According to these associations, the situation would be “unprecedented”, in the words of Luc Gateau, president of Unapei (National Union of Associations of Parents, People with Mental Disabilities). “Specialized reception centers have seen their capacities diminish for lack of caregivers and educators. A barometer reports 30,000 vacancies, or 5% of professionals in the sector. »
Consequences ? Some structures, to remain open, call on temporary workers. “But giving food to children who have swallowing disorders can’t be improvised,” says Luc Gateau. It takes a reaction. “And the president of Unapei to welcome all the same the decision, late, on the question of Ségur. Indeed, when the government announced in July 2020 the revaluation of 183 euros net per month for paramedics in nursing homes, public and private hospitals, medical-social caregivers financed by the departments were excluded. But on November 8, 2021, Jean Castex announced that the revaluation will be extended to the 20,000 employees “forgotten from Ségur”. Still, many of these paramedics had already left the medical-social ship, disgusted. “We are still waiting for concrete answers on the social professions on Thursday”, insists Arnaud de Broca. Indeed, Jean Castex brings together the actors of the sector on Thursday for the last Interministerial Committee for Disability (CIH). The opportunity to make announcements on social professions? It would be surprising three months before the elections.
Five proposals to impose disability in the countryside
Faced with this alarming situation, the president of the collective intends to impose this theme in the presidential campaign. “The subject is approached either by people who do not know the subject, or we are in pointillism, by advancing a measure, for example the individualization of the AAH. »
The collective has therefore published five priority proposals. The first concerns, unsurprisingly, the means: “the autonomy branch has been adopted, but it is only an empty shell, slice Arnaud de Broca. It takes between 10 and 12 billion extra to fund a disability policy that meets our expectations. Second requirement: inclusion in the Constitution of accessibility in all these forms for all types of disability. “This would have avoided, for example, that this government decides to reduce the number of new housing units accessible to people with disabilities to 20% instead of 100%”, points out Arnaud de Broca.
“We are waiting for the candidates, the third knives do not interest us! »
The third point echoes the testimonies of families: “We must guarantee the quality of support for disabled people in establishments, but also at home”. The collective also asks for “a subsistence income for disabled adults who cannot work, which the AAH or disability pensions are not”. Last proposal: “Strengthen the participation of people with disabilities in the definition of public policy”. However, this government has brought together an Interministerial Committee on Disability every six months, numerous meetings on the subject… “The visios have followed one another, but that is not what makes a consultation, sweeps Arnaud de Broca. We didn’t feel like we were treated as partners. »
To see if these ambitious demands will find an echo on March 3 and 15, an appointment which serves as a signal of the interest, or not, of the pretenders to the Elysée. The collective claims to have received some positive responses. “We are waiting for the candidates, the third knives do not interest us!, warns its president. Maybe the candidates will be able to look at the 12 million people [touchées par un handicap]… and as many voters. »
Source: 20minutes
