–gov’t. must work on inclusivity, says NCD

ALTHOUGH provisions for the growth and development of the country are expected to be unveiled in the soon-to-be tabled 2021 budget, the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD) says that the promises outlined in the PPP/C’s 2020 elections manifesto are not enough.
“The government and the country as a whole needs [sic] to cater for persons with disabilities… In Guyana, you find that persons really downplay persons with disabilities. There aren’t enough provisions for them, and when you travel, it really jumps out at you,” highlighted NCD’s Programme Officer Sondra Davidson-Low during an exclusive interview with the Chronicle on Wednesday.

She explained that the NCD was previously in discussion with Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, about providing public transportation for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs). She said that the minister promised that provisions for this will be included in the upcoming budget.
“That is one thing we definitely want to see,” she emphasised, while simultaneously noting the difficulties PWDs face when using regular public transportation.
“First of all, when people find that someone has a disability, they’re instantly turned off. Not only do they have difficulty getting transportation, but the transportation doesn’t have provisions for persons with disabilities, so that makes it hard for them to travel at all,” she pointed out.

Another issue raised pertained to the public assistance for this category of persons, which Corrica detailed was a meagre monthly figure of $9,500.
“There isn’t much they can do with it. There isn’t a lot that people–much more persons with disabilities– can do with that amount. It needs to be raised,” she stated.
The budget will see marginalised groups, such as PWDs, receiving new benefits, including education for those with special needs, employment opportunities, financial support and tax relief, among others. However, the NCD insists that more be done, especially in terms of finance and infrastructure.
“There needs to be provisions for PWD’s, especially in service buildings. Things like wheelchair ramps, hand rails on the walls [and] corridors and doorways that are wide enough for people with wheelchairs to pass through. The ones we have right now don’t even facilitate that. A lot of these places don’t even have a disabled washroom,” stressed Avonel Corrica, Advocacy and

Communications Officer at the NCD. She was also interviewed by this publication. The NCD officials also suggested that streets be made wide enough for visually impaired persons to navigate their canes while walking, and for pavements to be installed on roads with slopes for persons using wheelchairs.
“We know it’s going to take a while, but we also want to know that these things are going to be put in place to make the lives of persons with disabilities easier. They don’t have special rights. They need special provisions, but they have the same rights as their non-disabled counterparts. They’re people, just like me and you,” Corrica ended.
The NCD was launched on December 10, 1997, with the aim of disseminating information on disability in Guyana, and influencing policy changes and enforcement of laws that protect the rights of PWDs.