In a changing labor landscape, the inclusion of people with disabilities in both state and non‑state workplaces must be closely monitored by the Workers’ Central Union of Cuba (CTC, in Spanish) and its unions. This was the focus of an evaluation by the organization’s secretariat in Artemisa.
Yaneisis Cárdenas Pérez, head of Labor and Social Affairs in the province, discussed her exchanges with the presidents of associations of the deaf, the blind, those with physical‑motor limitations, and the intellectually disabled—the latter created only recently. She highlighted the importance of the workshops operating with membership from all four associations, under the Provincial Company of Various Productions in Güira de Melena, where despite shortages of raw materials, none of the workers have been declared redundant.
She noted that people with disabilities have also joined new economic actors in Artemisa, though in smaller numbers. In this context, she insisted on the need to raise awareness, remove architectural barriers, promote inclusion, and adapt schedules and labor rules to their possibilities.
Lisbeth Bermúdez Rodés, CTC’s general secretary in the territory, urged persuading those under 35 who are not yet employed—a significant figure—to seek opportunities, stressing the right of all to contribute to the society in which they live.
She also referred to Article 40 of the Constitution of the Republic, which establishes “the obligation of the State, society, and families to protect, promote, and ensure the full exercise of the rights of persons with disabilities.”
“We do not always have the required conditions to facilitate their rehabilitation or quality of life within our workplaces—whether in furniture, lighting, or other aspects—and we must address this to achieve their personal autonomy and participation,” she emphasized.
