Nicole: It is society that puts up barriers, not disability

“I am the daughter of a housewife and an automotive painter,” is how Nicole Mesén, a Costa Rican activist for the rights of people with disabilities, defines herself behind her desk in the office of the Goicoechea municipality.

Nicole was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a condition in which bones break easily and also causes damage to muscles, teeth, spine, and hearing. She has suffered more than 100 fractures throughout her life, in addition to impeding her mobility, which is why she is a wheelchair user.

“Being born with a disability is complex, not because of the disability itself, but because of all the barriers that society generates, because historically and culturally we have generated a model of people and if someone breaks that model what we do is segregate them and generate endless barriers because we build society with that model”, he explains.

For example, he remembers that he could not attend preschool because there was not enough knowledge about the rights of people with disabilities, which also resulted in discrimination.

However, in primary school, Law 7600 on equal opportunities for people with disabilities was already in force, and her mother, Liliana, went to the Ministry of Public Education and fought for her daughter’s rights, according to Nicole’s words. . That was how she managed to enter the school.

His time in elementary school led the center’s staff and students to create an environment of inclusion around him. At that time, Nicole used a crib with wheels that her father made to facilitate her mobilization, because due to her condition, she could not sit down.

It was then that the change within the institution began to be noticedeven the infrastructure of the school was much more accessible.

“It seems to me that this was like setting a pattern in the institution where I studied, because a level of inclusion had never been generated as it was with me at that time,” he recalls.

Nicole did not receive a secondary education when she was due for health reasons, but she did not stop learning during that period of her life; she studied painting and English, and learned to make crafts and jewelry.

But what does it mean to have a disability in Costa Rica?

According to official data in Costa Rica more than 18% of the population has a disability, which is equivalent to more than 670,000 people. Of all persons with disabilities in the country, 39.1% are men and 60.9% are women.

Although more than 88% of this population has access to social security, Costa Rica still faces significant challenges to ensure their right to education and work.

For example, only 5.7% of the population with disabilities who are 18 years of age or older attend formal education and 95.5% go to educational centers that do not have support related to curricular adjustments. In addition, 55.4% of the educational centers they attend are not accessible.

Besides, 56% of people with disabilities aged 18 or over are unemployed.

Activism and politics go hand in hand

At the age of 18 Nicole became an activist for the rights of people with disabilities. She chose social networks as a means to do it because it was easier for her than going out on the street.

“I decided to do it from my own privilegeBecause even with all the barriers I had, I had a mother who gave me all the tools, she gave me Law 7600 when I was only 7 years old and told me: learn to assert your rights because no one is going to do it for you ”.

At the age of 22, she became the first person with disabilities elected as councilor Goicoechea, municipality of the capital San José, position in which he currently works, at 29 years of age.

“I saw politics as a platform to make the activism that I had already been doing more visible, because I have always believed that activism and politics go hand in hand,” he declares.

But he doesn’t settle. Nicole wants to become a lawyer to defend human rights through her profession. She also wants to continue being an activist. For her, that is her greatest motivation, because activism does not represent colors, nor a political position that can be temporary.

UN Costa Rica/ Danilo Mora

This is my story

Nicole’s story is an example of struggle and improvement, as well as those of another twenty people who have associated with the United Nations to produce the book “I am a person with a disability in Costa Rica and this is my story.”

This publication is part of a series of stories that the United Nations has compiled in Costa Rica to make visible the situation of specific people and groups so that their desires, struggles, experiences and great life lessons can be known.

The first publication in this series acknowledged and amplified the voice of people of African descentthen it was the of indigenous people, and on this occasion that of people with disabilities. In the coming weeks, the UN Office in Costa Rica will launch another book with stories of migrants.

Allegra Baiocchi, the highest representative of the UN in the Caribbean country, highlighted that today in Costa Rica there are people with disabilities, families, communities, institutions and organizations that are leading a transformation that places people as the principle and ultimate objective of development.

“It is a great challenge for the UN, States and societies in general, to support this and other groups that have lived in exclusion, who have had to face extremely complex struggles. It is about listening to them, supporting them and reaffirming their aspirations for equality and social justice., as valid. We are learning every day about how to ensure true inclusion and accessibility for all people. Representativeness is key, ensuring that more people with all types of disabilities have access to employment and leadership positions”, Baiocchi highlighted.

“This publication is a recognition for people with disabilities who inspire us and encourage us to fight for equality, rights and well-being for all people. They teach us that we will not be able to achieve Sustainable Development if we do not close the gaps and lags that are affecting them much more strongly than the rest of the people in Costa Rica”, concluded the UN coordinator.

The Vice President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Mary Munive, participated in the activity to launch the publication, who was highlighted by the UN as a strategic partner to bring solutions and responses to the concerns and needs with which people with disabilities and others live. groups excluded from development opportunities.

“This poses a challenge for us, to head towards a more inclusive country and with more opportunities for all people, and this is precisely one of the commitments we have as a Government. We must guarantee that our population with disabilities have access to quality education and jobs and allow them to develop in an integral way as people”, highlighted the vice president.

What is the support of the UN

In addition to the publication, the United Nations has worked on different actions in Costa Rica to promote the inclusion and rights of this population.

The organization has prioritized the implementation of the Disability Inclusion Strategy of the General secretary in Costa Rica, promoting advocacy actions, generation of evidence and key information for decision-making.

For example, under the leadership of the Population Fund (UNFPA) and in alliance with the National Institute for Women, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities and the Latin American Alliance of Women with Disabilities, methodological tools were developed to train women with disabilities in sexual and reproductive health issues from a perspective of human rights.

In addition, the Fund submitted the study Sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence of Women with Disabilities in which it was shown that the population of women with disabilities is the most prone to experience different types of violence.

The UN office in Costa Rica, through the Disability Inclusion Initiative promoted by the Development Coordination Office (DCO), participates as a pilot country, with the collaboration of its agencies, funds and programs, promoting a broad review of its materials, websites, talent acquisition and attraction procedures, physical facilities, among others, to ensure that they are accessible to people with disabilities. It also develops measurements and mechanisms to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities are included in their plans and projects.

Report produced by Abril Morales and Danilo Mora, from the UN Office in Costa Rica

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