SOCIAL activists and the Guyana Commission on Disability have expressed disappointment at the way Guyana’s differently-abled population is being treated, and are calling for a revamp of the Disability Act 2010.Representatives of several organisations are participating in a Parliamentary Gender Seminar series organised by the Women and Gender Equality Commission and University of Guyana Gender Studies Unit and hosted at Parliament Chambers. Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Disability (NCD), Beverly Pyle underscored that society and certain constitutional deliberations have placed disabilities on the physically disabled, with them becoming victims lacking access to information, services and participation.
She told the forum that she was particularly hurt when her organisation received a letter of invitation to participate in the national seminar and it was mentioned in the said letter that individuals in wheelchairs cannot access the Parliament Chambers to participate in the forum.
“We really wanted someone who is in a wheelchair to come here today, but they couldn’t, because they couldn’t get up here in the chair. This is an important place; someone with a disability, using a wheelchair, couldn’t get here today. That’s discrimination!” Pyle said, adding:
“Other persons come here, and are comfortable. Why can’t they?”
She told the Guyana Chronicle in an interview Monday that though wheelchair-bound individuals sometimes stop at the entrance of places, they have no access to get into the relevant offices to receive needed services.
“Certainly, they will have to get in, because it’s a public building… We need to think a little further; it’s not only entrance to the building, but do they have access to the facilities?”
She pointed out that washrooms do not have enough space for a wheelchair to turn around so that the person can use washrooms at public buildings, privately. When the Family Court was being constructed, the NCD wrote a letter asking for considerations in infrastructure be given to the disabled, in particular those in wheelchairs, but in a response they were told that monies were not available to install such, Pyle complained.
However, Guyana Women Lawyers Association President, Sadie Amin, said she has noticed that the Family Court building has installed ramps, but because the law caters for new buildings only, none has been installed for access to the High Court.
Pyle told the Guyana Chronicle that persons attached to her organisation complained that they had critical matters to attend to in court and other public buildings, but were unable to access services because of lack of ramps or lifts. She said at one time the NCD had to write a letter and the magistrate came downstairs to attend to the matter at hand. However, the problem persisted after with different individuals and different magistrates, resulting in persons with disabilities from accessing justice.
The deaf and hearing-impaired also lack access to public information, and Pyle has recommended that the services of sign language interpreters be used in the dissemination of information of national interest. “That is the missing link for all other special national programmes,” she told the Guyana Chronicle, and added, that instead, “they’re left out!”
She commended the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for making the relevant inclusion of signing, considering the needs of the deaf and hearing-impaired in all its commercials relating to the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE), and is calling on other organisations to follow suit. The 46th Republic Anniversary Flag raising ceremony on February 23 at Durban Park did not employ anyone to do sign language, though the event was public in nature, and Pyle is hoping that for the remainder of the major ceremonies to commemorate Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary, signing will be included in communication so that the deaf too will benefit.
“Things were happening but nobody is signing for the deaf!” she stated. The deaf may not even know what was happening if the parliamentary gender seminar was being aired on television she pointed out. “We might say oh they can see so they will see what is happening … but their way of communication is sign language. If this particular seminar goes out to the television, would they be able to recognise what we were doing here today? This information we are getting here is of paramount importance, but how do they get it? We have to think about the way in which we get these things out. (They) do need sensitisation!”
Meanwhile, Red Thread Woman Activist Karen DeSouza has dismissed the Disability Act as insulting and one which needs revamping. “It’s nice to have a disability act … I was really appalled when I looked at that act because it is full of (the phrase) “to the extent that the government is able to do”. In other words, they don’t have to do anything.”
She said sarcastically, “So the parliament buildings could stay just as it is, without wheelchair access from now till “neverwery” morning. The native documents and laws and so forth accessible to people who are -impaired or deaf or blind or visually impaired, are not important, only ‘to the extent that the government is able to’ or interested.”
The social activist said her interpretation of the Disability Act shows that “that is what the disability act stands for! It needs serious revamping. It is insulting! It’s disgraceful!”