Regional Government of Madrid to support different social causes in the Metro En Línea [Madrid on Track] solidarity campaign

The Regional Government of Madrid presents its new solidarity campaign - Metro En línea – where the underground seeks, as it does each year, to publicise and enhance the visibility of 12 different associations through its various communication channels. To do this, different actions will be carried out to raise awareness with each of these associations, from now until 6 January.

This was highlighted this morning by the Regional Councillor for Transport and Infrastructure, David Pérez, in Chamartín station, where he invited passengers to align themselves with different groups at risk of exclusion. David Pérez recalled that “each Metro line will sponsor a different cause with the idea of reaching the highest number of passengers possible and of raising awareness about different diseases and inequalities and of providing resources to those who most need them”.

Among the causes under this year’s initiatives are several issues of great social weight, such as the rights of persons with disabilities, research to fight such diseases as ALS, cancer and other rare diseases, along with care for the elderly and the homeless.

Accordingly, Line 1, sponsored by the A la Par Foundation, focuses on persons with intellectual disabilities; Line 2, though Cáritas, warns of the need to help families that are suffering from the consequences of the crisis; Line 3, sponsored by Grandes Amigos, focuses on the elderly; Line 4, through the Isabel Gemio Foundation, focuses on people with rare diseases; Line 5, together with ACCEM, seeks to fight polarisation and hatred on the social media; Line 6, together with Hogar Sí, supports people without resources; Line 7, together with Cris contra el Cáncer, enhances the visibility of research into this disease; Line 8, together with the Querer Foundation, raises awareness about children with special educational needs deriving from their neurological diseases; Line 9, through the NGO Save de Children, helps combat hunger among children; Line 10 and Ciudad Joven defend and advocate the rights of the child; Line 11, together with the Spanish Association against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) draws attention to this disease, and lastly, Line 12, through the association Achalay, focuses on persons with intellectual disabilities.

ONE METRO FOR ALL

Metro de Madrid also seeks to foster the autonomy of persons with disabilities through the creation of a model of more inclusive transport. To achieve that, one of its priorities is to facilitate the use of the underground for all travellers, regardless of their circumstances.

With this aim in mind, as well as working to eliminate physical barriers, the Madrid underground is making a major effort to improve the cognitive accessibility of the network. To achieve this, actions will be carried out during the campaign such as the visit to Paco de Lucía station by pupils with intellectual disabilities from the A la Par Foundation to see the main elements of the station and how to use the installations first-hand.

An event has also been organised by the regional government, together with the association Achalay, where young people with intellectual disabilities, who are pupils of the Liceo Programme, perform tests related to the autonomous use of the underground, along with Metro volunteers. A visit will also be arranged for a group of users from the association Hogar Sí to the train exhibition in Chamartín station. Other publicity actions and to raise awareness will also take place to highlight its work to the benefit of groups at risk of exclusion and in vulnerable situations.

The Regional Councillor for Transport and Infrastructure, through Metro de Madrid, wishes to continue raising the awareness of passengers and support different causes that help all the people of Madrid in their full integration and inclusion in society, to which end it is making available suitable installations and communication channels to get this message across to millions of people.

This initiative forms part of the social line of Metro de Madrid – the programme through which the company makes its resources available to social entities with few resources and offers its great potential as a communication channel. Over the last year, 47 actions have been carried out, of which 16 have included the collaboration of Metro employees through its corporate volunteer programme Juntos Sumamos.