Return to the site visit.
On June 25, a visit to the construction site of the reception center for visually impaired adults in Bégoux took place. Louis Marzo, president of the Institut des Jeunes Aveugles foundation, welcomed its opening in October 2024 “after a moment of anesthesia”. This new branch of the IJA was designed in collaboration with future residents and their families and will ensure continuity of support for life paths through diversified reception and housing methods, while promoting the autonomy, emancipation of people with disabilities and active participation in the life of the city. These people have a certain physical and intellectual autonomy but cannot be integrated into the ordinary environment. This means that 56 adults will be able to be accommodated on this site located on the Route de Villefranche, referred by the Maison départementale des personnes handicapées. This establishment will create 47 jobs dedicated to supporting these adults on a daily basis. “We are happy to be here today. We had to hold on. We were right. I am convinced that the residents will make the Department’s motto their own: “Here, we are well. Here, we live well”” said Serge Rigal, President of the Department. “Thank you to the Department for launching the call for projects. It was complicated and we came out on top. We can see what the establishment is going to be like. The City has done everything to make access as easy as possible. There will also be 8 housing units in the city center for the most independent residents” said Jean-Luc Marx, Mayor of Cahors and President of the agglomeration. “This project is magnificent. The Region aims to be the most inclusive region. This project illustrates this desire” concluded Marie Piqué, Vice-President of the Occitanie Region.
> The receptions will be done gradually with the objective of full occupancy in January 2025 offering:
– Collective accommodation for 36 people, whose spatial and architectural organization will guarantee living in small units;
– Shared or individual accommodation, of different sizes (T5, T3, T1 bis) for 12 people. These accommodations are built in Bégoux;
– Eight city apartments that will complete this accommodation offer in the near future.
> This project is also ambitious in the deployment of access to new digital technologies for people with visual disabilities. Computer tools and digital technology are important vectors of information these days, which is why the Institute for Young Blind People wishes to support the people it welcomes in accessing these tools. Thus, in conjunction with the joint research laboratory of the IJA and the Toulouse Computer Science Research Institute (IRIT)-CNRS dedicated to the development of digital tools, the establishment has set itself the mission of supporting access to information, knowledge and culture for the people it supports. This establishment, through appropriate means and tools, will allow the people it supports to have access to information, knowledge and culture. One of the values upheld by the IJA is that learning and training must be deployed for everyone throughout life.
> This project is the result of a close partnership between:
– the Department of Lot at the origin of the call for projects and the financing of a preparatory station until the opening of the equipment,
– the City of Cahors, a candidate for this reception and which is responsible for ensuring several arrangements linked to access and security of the site and its future occupants,
– the Grand Cahors, committed like the Department, under a loan guarantee,
– the Occitanie Region mobilized to the tune of nearly one million euros in favor of the energy performance of the building,
– the Caisse des Dépôts / Banque des Territoires, major financial partner of this new place to live,
– ARS Occitanie.
Photo DR
