“My brain is 150 percent there”

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“The system itself hinders us.” The concise statement comes from Islam Alijaj (37), SP councilor in Zurich and independent political adviser. Because his brain was not getting enough oxygen at birth, he suffers from cerebral palsy. He is in a wheelchair and has difficulty speaking.

But that doesn’t stop Alijaj from pursuing his goals. After the city council of Zurich, he is now attracted to Bern. This autumn he will be a candidate for the National Council for the SP for the second time. But first, on March 24, there will be a session for the disabled.

KV internship completed

Due to his disability, Alijaj attended a special school for the physically and multiple handicapped in the 1990s. And today raises serious accusations: “Because of the special school, I was at the level of a sixth grader at the age of 16.”

There he was constantly challenged: “My brain is 150 percent there.” So he pushed himself to a higher school level and completed a commercial apprenticeship at Profile E at the age of 22.

Today, Aliyaj fights for an inclusive school system that excludes no child. “The children must have an influence on their individual curriculum, be able to help shape it and change it if necessary.” This promotes the individual development of all children.

representation for everyone

There is only one way for him to achieve this goal: representation. “Parliament and government must finally become representative. And I don’t just mean people with a disability, but also women or people with a migration background,” says Alijaj.

Alijaj gives the example of the IV system to support this. “It should help us, but the rigid and outdated structures often have the opposite effect.” One of the reasons for this is that too few people with disabilities work for the IV. This would also be a form of representation.

The SP politician believes that equal rights and therefore fair representation of people with disabilities are also necessary on the labor market. All too often people with disabilities are deported to sheltered workshops. Aliyay never wanted to work in it. “Once you’re there, it’s almost impossible to get into the normal job market.”

Source:Blick