Near Toulouse, parents reintegrate their disabled children in the heart of the city
A relief for the parents of these six children. They want to change the lives of their disabled children. Children today have become adults but their only choice is to live locked up in specialized shelters.
In great lack of means, these structures allow them only few activities and therefore evolutions. “Our daughter is already in a specialized foster home, but it’s quite big and it’s very closed, that is to say that due to a lack of means, they no longer do anything”explains Brigitte, a member of the project.
“We want her to go outside”
Sophie’s mother continues: “It’s not going at all. So, we looked to do something else. We want it to be open. We want her to go outside. Let her go and do things, let life come, let there have exchanges and all that, that she is not just from morning to night on her couch”.
This project is a first and it is supported by the parents of six disabled adults, grouped behind the Equipollence collective. 50 kilometers from Toulouse, on the road from Vauré to Revel (Haute-Garonne), in April 2021 they bought the Domaine de la Théole – a 500m2 house in the heart of a park of nearly 10,000 m3.
Work will begin after the laying of the first stone on Saturday 19 March. Everything must be renovated to set up different spaces: the collective living space of their children, above will be integrated three independent studios for less dependent people. In the body of this beautiful farm, rental accommodation will also be offered and finally, two “third places”, which could host entertainment and public events.
“Here, we are precursors”
The idea is above all to recreate life around their children, to make them participate and go out. The inhabitants of Revel are also invited to discover this new living space on April 22. “Here, I hope it’s the possibility of giving them access to everything else. There, today, we are precursors, we don’t fit into boxes. It’s a battle. So in 10 years, in 20 years, I hope we will have opened the door to something”testifies Elodie, mother of one of the future tenants, Lucas, 22 years old. “Today is very heavy”.
What Brigitte confirms: “It’s been very, very, very long. You have to fight and fight against all the administrations and find funding.” Next appointment for these parents: in six months, they hope that their children will finally be able to be outside, and at home.