We had a moving and fun morning at the Centro Medico Psicopedagógico Castellano, also known as La Castellana, where we began to see the Cuban philosophy of inclusion. What began as a segregated institution for 135 children in 1959 underwent a profound paradigm shift after the revolution to emphasize community inclusion, day program, and minimizing institutionalization. It's becoming clearer to us that the family and extended family in the form of community, are very much at the heart of the Cuban system for IDD services. We also saw more paper mâché put to ingenious uses to create amazing crafts, true works of art. These people, with very limited materials, take steps such as planting gourds to make maracas and gathering fallen palm fronds to make straw hats. And they danced, beautiful interpretive dance. The next step that was explained to us by the director, Dra. Emeridad Icart, is to find housing for people who are left without family and houses for married couples with IDD. The concept of group homes is developing out of the burgeoning need for options when caregivers pass, but housing is a disaster in Cuba. Options may be financially impossible to create until something happens to revive the economy.
After lunch at La Torre, a restaurant on the 33 re floor of a building with a panoramic view of Habana (wow, amazing, breathtaking...there aren't enough words to describe the view) we were treated to a unique honor, a visit with Dra. Elsa Gutierrez-Barro, premier author and expert in IDD. At age 83, this tireless fireball explained the role of special schools, called institutions in Cuba, as part of the continuum of care. Unlike the stigma associated with special schools and institutions, Cuba's special ed students are simply attending another schools. In all other aspects of social and community life, they're integrated. In that context, we all found ourselves reflecting on the influence, and the importance of understanding, culture in how we develop supports. Dra. Elsa has written ten books and is working on an eleventh. I hope that she makes it to 100 years of age. She has so much to share.
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