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A man with an intellectual disability got an important prize in France.
The prize is called The Legion of Honor. The President of France have a medal to him. The man got the medal because of the important work he did His organisation helped thousands of people find work and make friends. It is the first time ever that a person with an intellectual disability |
For the first time in history, a man who has an intellectual disability has been awarded the Légion d’honneur order in France.
Jean Pierre Crépieux has been honoured for his work and contribution to L’Arche, an international federation focused on improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. The 70 year-old received the medal at the Elysée Palace in Paris from President François Hollande on 8 December.
The Legion d’Honneur is the highest decoration in France. Established by Napoleon in 1802, it rewards personal merit in the service of the nation. “I bought a suit especially for the occasion, I feel moved to have been chosen,” Mr. Crépieux told his local radio station.
His work in L’Arche started 50 years ago, when he co-founded the federation. Jean Pierre had spent most of his childhood in a mental hospital and was determined to find a better alternative. L’Arche seeks the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in society through work and fraternity. Since then, 147 community centres have been opened in in 35 countries, helping over 5000 people with intellectual disabilities.
“In a divided world, L’Arche wants to be a sign of hope. Its communities, founded on covenant relationships between people of differing intellectual capacity, social origin, religion and culture, seek to be signs of unity, faithfulness and reconciliation,” said the federation.
