By Navendra Seoraj

THE International Day for Persons Living with Disabilities — Thursday, December 3 -– was celebrated this year under the theme “Inclusion matters, access and empowerment for people of all abilities”; and the Guyana Society for the Blind (GSB) used this opportunity to call on Government to place more emphasis on persons living with disabilities by focusing more on implementing components of Guyana’s Disability Act, which became law in 2010.In an interview with this publication on the day in question, members of the GSB contended that not enough is being done for persons living with disabilities, given that the employment level for disabled persons is currently low. They say that although much emphasis is being placed on educating persons living with disabilities, the other aspects of their survival are being overlooked.

Ganesh Singh, a commissioner at the National Commission on Disability, contended that the International Day for Persons Living with Disabilities was first recognised by the United Nations in 1992 after a resolution had been passed to recognise December 3 as that day; and the day has since been used to raise awareness about the rights and abilities of persons living with disabilities.

He called on government to ensure that provisions of Guyana’s Disability Act, which became law in 2010, are implemented, given that Guyana is way behind other countries in this respect; and he charged that the following areas are being neglected in the lives of persons living with disabilities in Guyana: the need for employment, access to information, access to buildings, an accessible society, and independent lives for persons living with disabilities.

Ms Rosemarie Ramitt, a young teacher in training, who is also living with a disability, contended that there should be inclusionary access to the Disability Act and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She charged that nothing is being done for disabled persons in this regard, and that government must ensure that relevant provisions are implemented.

“Every person with a disability can have access to everything just as a normal person (has), given that (disabled persons) always raise the issues that we face. We are trying to reach more people, to make society more aware, and (to) change the attitude of society towards differently-abled persons,” she declared.

DISABILITY GRANT
Ganesh Singh said nothing has so far been done for disabled persons in terms of employment. He highlighted that the previous administration had allocated a $20M grant to ensure that an income-based development plan affecting disabled persons could be crafted, and training could take place; and he called for renewal of this grant, so that employment can be created for persons living with disabilities.

“Deaf persons are working,” he conceded, and added, “but those are usually porter jobs and so forth. This is so because there are no policies for employing persons with disabilities. There are a few persons who got employment, but those jobs are not of a high standard, just because of the lack of confidence (in persons with disabilities),” he charged.

Asked if any approach has been made to Government to consult on an employment strategy, Singh said: “We had meetings with the new government, and discussed training and education; because once you are qualified, we can lobby for jobs. But, so far, we are advocating for qualified persons to get proper jobs.”

Singh has disclosed that a number of activities are planned for the National Disability Week of activities. This year, the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities has planned a number of activities, such as church services, distribution of awareness materials, an extensive media campaign to highlight issues affecting persons living with disabilities, a capacity-building exercise at the Red House for young leaders within their movement; and, on Saturday, a blind cricket match.

Vice Chairman of the Guyana Council of Organisations, Cecil Morris, asserted that persons with disabilities have been sidelined over a number of years, and “as such, we must use the media campaign to let people know what is happening.”

Morris and Ms. Theresa Pemberton, a volunteer at the Guyana Society for the Blind, are contending that businesses do not employ persons living with disabilities because they believe that such persons cannot efficiently perform tasks assigned them. They are accordingly calling on society to abandon its lack of confidence in persons living with disabilities and to give those persons their deserving equal rights.