Angela Bachiller
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| Angela Covadonga Bachiller | |
|---|---|
| Town Councillor | |
| Preceded by | Jesús García Galván [1] |
| Constituency | Valladolid, Spain |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Spain |
| Political party | Popular Party |
| As of 29 July, 2013 | |
Angela Covadonga Bachiller became Spain's first city councillor with Down Syndrome, sworn in on 29 July 2013.[2] Aged 30, Bachiller had already been working for two and a half years at Valladolid City Hall as an administrative assistant. Her opportunity came when a fellow Popular Party (PP) member implicated in a corruption case stood down.[3][1][4]
Bachiller stood for office in the municipal elections in 2011 - 18th in a closed list from which 17 councillors were chosen. Mayor León de la Riva, who has been in office since 1995, has known Ángela since she was a child and says he made the decision to include candidates from the city's social welfare department in his team, although Bachiller had to wait until Jesús García Galván stood down after being implicated in a corruption case.[1]
She takes on her new job after working for two and a half years as an administrative assistant in Valladolid's Department of Social Welfare.
In 2011, Bachiller just missed out on a spot as a town councillor for the city, but won many friends during that campaign.[5]
Valladolid City Council's decision puts Spain among just two countries known to have elected officials with Down Syndrome: In 2012, Stephen Green became the first person in the United Kingdom to become a parish councillor. The 47-year-old took up his post in the village of Nuttall, in Nottinghamshire.[1]
She studies English and plays piano very well.[5]
Social Acclaim
Mayor Francisco Javier León de la Riva described her as "an example of strength and of someone overcoming obstacles.".[5]
Her boss in Valladolid's social welfare department Rosa Hernández said: "The most important thing is that her family didn't overprotect her. She's tenacious and capable of carrying out her work at all times."[5]
The opposition Socialist Party (PSOE) supports Bachiller's appointment. "We see this as something perfectly normal," says Óscar Puente, the head of the Socialist Group in Valladolid City Council. "Let's hope that it encourages other people in her situation to play a bigger role in society."[1]
Her father said "if she had to get up a six o'clock instead of seven to study because she was finding it (the schoolwork) harder, she would."[6]
See Also
List of people with Down syndrome
References
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