Empathy for the Disabled: Mexico City program seeks inclusion for disabled

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A Mexico City initiative helps disabled people take part in social activities while showing citizens the daily challenges faced by those less fortunate. CGTN's Al Baverstock shows us how it works.

Sunday morning is family time in Mexico City, when the capital's main avenue is closed to traffic, and bicycle stands line the thoroughfare.

But one stand in particular is doing something different.

Run entirely by private citizens, the 'Blind Stroll' initiative pairs disabled residents with volunteers, to give the less fortunate a chance to join in the fun.

Thirty-three-year-old Guillermo Romero has been blind since birth. He comes every Sunday for the bike ride.

GUILLERMO ROMERO MEXICO CITY RESIDENT "I love coming here. The volunteer steers and I pedal, and we go over the speed bumps and bridges. It's difficult for me to make friends, so this has become very important for me."

Since 2010, the program has paired more than 500 disabled residents with volunteers.

ALASDAIR BAVERSTOCK MEXICO CITY The empathy-building program for the disabled has been here every Sunday for the past eight years, and aims to promote social inclusion in Mexico City's society. It's an activity that the citizen volunteers here say is a highlight of their week.

Luis Barrera rides tandem bicycles with Guillermo and others.

LUIS BARRERA VOLUNTEER, THE BLIND STROLL "It's very gratifying, and we always say that the volunteers here benefit more than the people we help."

MANUEL DE LA TORRE FOUNDER, THE BLIND STROLL "Cycling is something many of our friends here thought they would never experience, and the exhilaration of the wind in their face has reduced many of them to tears."

Mexico's capital is home to an estimated 500-thousand people with disabilities, and psychologist Cristina Leon says the city needs to do more to help them.

CRISTINA LEON DISABILITY PSYCHOLOGIST "Mexico City is simply not equipped for blind people, and in addition to the lack of wheelchair ramps, audio-aided pedestrian crossings and other modifications, there is a lack of understanding from society. It's a situation that's improving slowly, and programs like this accelerate that progress."

The city's newest bus route runs along the same avenue. It offers directions in braille and wheelchair ramps. While improving infrastructure is a move forward for activists, the volunteers say the fight for social acceptance is an equally vital part of the battle. Al Baverstock, CGTN, Mexico City.