Dr. Greg Clary, professor of rehabilitation and human services at Clarion University, was one of 19 delegates to visit Cuba in May as part of a delegation from the Council on Rehabilitation and Education. The purpose of the visit, coordinated through the University of Memphis Institute on Disability, was to examine social justice and ethical issues in health and rehabilitation in Cuba.
The delegation had the opportunity to interact with a variety of Cuban physical and behavioral health care professionals, students, community activists, artists, university faculty and government officials. Visits were conducted to a comprehensive community health care facility, mental health clinic of Regla, Rene Vilches School for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, and a regular education elementary school.
Environmental and sustainable agriculture initiatives were also conducted through visits to the Organic Agriculture Urban Cooperative near Havana and Las Terrazas, a biosphere reserve in Sierra del Rosario of Pinel del Rio.
A luncheon visit was hosted at the home-studio of internationally renowned ceramic artist Jose Fuster, and an in-depth exchange was conducted with members of the community project Espiral, a grassroots project dedicated to environmental issues and sustainable development.
Clary found the Cuban people to be very receptive to American and other western visitors and eager to have the trade embargo lifted. As a socialist country, Cuba offers all health care and educational programs, including postsecondary education, at no additional cost to its citizens, something that they readily extol. Opportunities to exchange political and governance ideas occurred throughout the visit with ongoing liaisons established for future visits and exchanges.
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