Spanish Association of Families of Deafblind Persons
Asociación Española de Familias de Personas con Sordoceguera | |
| Abbreviation | APASCIDE |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1991 |
| Type | Non-profit organization |
| Headquarters | Madrid, Spain |
Region served | Spain |
Key people | Dolores Romero |
| Website | apascide.org |
The Spanish Association of Families of Deafblind People (APASCIDE, from the Spanish Asociación Española de Familias de Personas con Sordoceguera) is a Spanish non-profit organization founded in 1991. Its purpose is to promote the welfare, education, and inclusion of people with deafblindness and to support their families throughout Spain.[1]
APASCIDE develops social, educational, and residential programs and provides professional training in deafblind communication and care. The association has been recognized by the Fundaciónn Lealtad for transparency and good governance practices.[2]
History
During the 1990s and early 2000s, professionals of the Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles helped APASCIDE to consolidate a national framework of support for deafblind people and their families. In 2006 the association was declared of public utility by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, and it later collaborated with the Fundación Once para la Atención de Personas con Sordoceguera, the IMSERSO (Institute for Older Persons and Social Services), and several regional governments.[1]
Centro Santa Ángela de la Cruz
APASCIDE’s most significant resource is the Centro Santa Ángela de la Cruz, located in Salteras, near Seville. Opened in 2010, it was the first residential and educational facility in Spain fully dedicated to people with deafblindness requiring intensive support. The center provides permanent housing, education, and occupational workshops based on a person-centred approach.[3]
International cooperation
APASCIDE takes part in European cooperation projects under Erasmus+, facilitating exchange and training of professionals in the field of deafblindness. In 2025, staff from institutions in the Netherlands and Republica Dominicana carried out exchanges with the Salteras center.[4] APASCIDE is a member of the Deafblind International DbI (DbI corporate members).
Recognition
APASCIDE has received various acknowledgments for its social contribution. It obtained the quality seal of the Fundaciónn Lealtad for meeting the nine principles of transparency and good practices.[2] The association and its programs are cited in Spanish academic and professional literature concerning deafblindness.[1][5][6][7]
Social impact
According to institutional data, APASCIDE’s initiatives reach several hundred deafblind persons and their relatives each year. The organization has contributed to the recognition of deafblindness in Spanish disability legislation and in dependency-care policies. National and regional media such as El País, ABC Sevilla, Europa Press, and Canal Sur have reported on its activities, highlighting its role in promoting the rights and inclusion of deafblind people[8][9][10]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Reguera Muñoz MA. Servicios y recursos actuales para las personas con sordoceguera. In: Gómez Viñas P, Romero Rey E, eds. La sordoceguera: Un análisis multidisciplinar. Madrid: ONCE; 2004. pp. 311-346. ISBN 84-484-0142-5.
- 1 2 Fundación Lealtad. Transparency and Good Practices Report: APASCIDE. Retrieved 2025.
- ↑ . Diario de Sevilla. Una lucha contra la dependencia. Opening by The Queen of the Santa Ángela de la Cruz Center, the first residential home for deafblind people in Spain. 2010.
- ↑ Erasmus from the Netherlands – APASCIDE. Retrieved 2025.
- ↑ Hernández Hurtado R, Fae Peters S. Sordoceguera. En: Aguirre P., Gil JM, González JL, Osuna V, Polo DC, Vallejo de Castro D, Prieto I, Hernández Hurtado R, & Fae Peters S. (2007). Manual de atención al alumnado con necesidades específicas de apoyo educativo derivadas de discapacidad visual y sordoceguera, 44-85: Consejería de Educación, Junta de Andalucía. Sevilla. ISBN 978-84-691-8128-7
- ↑ "Patronato - Estudio sobre la situación de las personas sordociegas en España". www.rpdiscapacidad.gob.es. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ Fernández-Valderas, Carmen; Macías-Seda, Juana; Gil-García, Eugenia (13 March 2017). "Experiences of deafblind people about health care". Enfermería Clínica (English Edition). 27 (6): 375–378. doi:10.1016/j.enfcle.2017.03.013.
- ↑ García, Victoria (26 October 2010). "Una lucha contra la dependencia". Diario de Sevilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 October 2025.
- ↑ Cabria, Elsa (19 October 2010). "La vida en la palma de la mano". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
- ↑ Borja, Merche (27 June 2024). "La vida a través del tacto, así es el único centro para personas con sordoceguera de España: "Tienen unas necesidades únicas"". www.20minutos.es - Últimas Noticia (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 October 2025.