Gov’t gifts tablets, robotic kits to PLWDs
Co-founder of STEM Guyana, Karen Abrams, underscores the importance of providing equitable access to all Guyanese
in the ICT sector as Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, presents Programme Coordinator of
Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities, Ganesh Singh, with a robotic set on
Co-founder of STEM Guyana, Karen Abrams, underscores the importance of providing equitable access to all Guyanese in the ICT sector as Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, presents Programme Coordinator of Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities, Ganesh Singh, with a robotic set on

By Jared Liddell

THE Ministry of Public Telecommunications on Friday hosted a handing-over ceremony where representatives of the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons With Disabilities (GCOPD) were presented with 59 tablets and one robotic set, the latter courtesy of STEM Guyana.

In attendance were Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes; Mr Ganesh Singh, GCOPD Programme coordinator; Ms Beverly Pile, Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Disability; and Ms Karen Abrams, Co-Founder of STEM Guyana.
The programme began with Mr. Singh, who, beaming with pride, expressed appreciation that the proposal he’d just a few months prior brought to Minister Hughes was now a reality.

Mr Singh spoke on how beneficial to the disabled community the initiative is, not only in the daily lives

of Persons Living with Disabilities PLWDs), but as it also relates to their educational pursuits, in that it would aid in the establishment of STEM clubs at four special-needs schools: St Barnabas Special School; the David Rose Special Needs School; the Diamond Special Needs School; and the Resource Unit for the Blind in Georgetown.
The gadgets will also be used for PLWDs attending the University of Guyana to allow them to access information.

“These are the things the disability community really wants to see; holistic changes, and not just token gestures that we’ve been accustomed to for a very long time,” were the sentiments expressed by Ganesh Singh.

Ms Beverly Pile, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to express pride in the initiative, saying, “We could say no one left behind. And I think we mean, at this point, no one left behind, because persons with disabilities would be able to move on in the world of technology.” She further stated that this is the first step of many by way of levelling the playing field between the average person and PLWDs.

Minister Hughes spokes of her delight at being able to be a part of the launching of such a promising programme. She also talked about the important impact technology has on the way education is disseminated and received by each individual, and expressed satisfaction that the disabled community will now have the ability to share in the technological progression.

“Our persons with disabilities must have the same opportunities; the same tools for learning and personal growth as any other Guyanese citizen,” Minister Hughes said.

The minister also highlighted that the Ministry of Public Telecommunications along with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Commission on Disability are just about ready to implement tax exemptions on smart-phone imports that would be useful to persons with disabilities. Also about to be implemented is access to duty-free concessions to persons with disabilities, who would need to import special customised vehicles.

Ms Abrams, who was the last to speak, talked about the experience she had working with some members of the disabled community through her STEM Guyana programme.

She described the programme as being “wildly successful”, in that the experience prompted her to want to be a part of this initiative. “Talent is equally distributed whether in poor or rich communities, abled or disabled communities,” she said, adding: “We just know that opportunity is not equally distributed.” She further stated that we have a mandate to ensure that everybody is offered the opportunity to participate in the development of Guyana.

In her closing remarks, Minister Hughes made reference to, starting sometime in the near future, utilising social media as well as fliers to disseminate information on how persons could go about accessing the new opportunities being brought through these new initiatives for PLWDs.

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