THE Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD), on Monday, expressed contentment with the government’s provisions for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the 2021 budget.
The budget outlined the government’s commitment to the effective delivery of key services to persons with disabilities, and detailed several elaborate plans to achieve its objective; the most significant of which was the review and amendment of the Persons with Disability Act (2010).

“We are very happy. In fact, on behalf of the council, we are very excited about the provisions and programmes that the government will put in place for the disabled community,” Ganesh Singh, Programme Coordinator of the GCOPD, expressed during a brief interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday.
“It is the first time, which I know of, that the government has a section of the budget dedicated to plans for the ‘persons with disability’ community, so we have very positive sights set on the future,” he added.
In addition to the amendment of the Act, the government acknowledged the discrimination faced by persons with disabilities, and further vowed to ensure equal access to a range of opportunities, including a range of health services, in 2021.

“In 2021, optometry services will be expanded to Regions 2, 6, 7 and 9 through the public healthcare system,” Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, announced during his presentation of the budget on Friday last.

“For the first time there will be rehabilitation professionals stationed in each region. We will strengthen the provision of medical and therapeutic care, vocational and skills training programmes and the creation of jobs through private sector partnerships.”

A sum of $50 million will be allotted to the National Commission on Disability (NCD) and an additional $30 million will go towards the construction of a complex at Mahaica, which will provide training to disabled persons in the areas of life and vocational skills.

The government plans to raise the Public Assistance payment from $9,000 to $12,000 monthly, benefitting over 13,000 persons and providing an additional $500 million in disposable income to these individuals. In addition to the aforementioned amounts, the budget has allocated a total of $120 million towards programmes supporting and benefitting persons with disabilities.

“It is something that we must commend the government on. It’s something we are hopeful about, and we look forward to continued partnership with the government in improving the lives of persons with disabilities,” Ganesh Singh concluded.