Valencia: Mar Galceran’s confidence shines through as she addresses Valencia’s regional parliament: she is Spain’s first politician with Down syndrome, and one of just a few elected across Europe.
She is trying to transform the way Spanish society views persons with impairments, which will be formalized in the Constitution on Thursday.
Galceran, 46, was elected to Valencia’s regional parliament in September, becoming the first person with Down syndrome to be elected in Spain at the regional or national level.
She aspires “to change the way society views people with disabilities” after being elected as an MP for the right-wing opposition Popular Party (PP).
And she has applauded the unusual initiative to amend Spain’s Constitution to replace the term “handicapped” (“disminuido”) with “people with disabilities,” which will be adopted by the Senate upper house on Thursday.
She told AFP that using the term “disminuido” or its colloquial equivalent “minusvalido” (“less valid”) has long been “offensive and insulting to the collective of people with disabilities”.
“Because we are not ‘diminished’ or ‘less valid’.” “We are not worth less than others.”
The revision, which also increases their rights, is only the third change to Spain’s Constitution since its passage in 1978, and the first of a social nature.
“Words matter,” she stated, emphasizing the necessity of “seeing people as individuals rather than their disabilities.”
