Latest update April 17th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 12, 2011 News
Persons living with disabilities are yet to reap the full benefits provided for under the Persons with Disability Act which came into being during the latter part of last year.
According to Programme Manager within the National Commission on Disability (NCD), Zoan Williams, at the moment efforts to implement the Act have been a bit slow as the NCD is yet to engage officials from point entities such as the Ministries of Health, Labour, Human Services and Social Security.
She said that thus far some discussions have been held with the Ministry of Labour but more talks are yet to be undertaken with a view of addressing the rights of persons with disability.
However, with the recent election and the appointment of new Ministers to the various point ministries, the process may not see continuance until next year, Williams speculated.
“Not much can be done right now and we understand that because we know that the various Ministers will have to settle in, so I expect by January we will continue this process…” she added.
The meetings with the various officials of Government entities, she said, is intended to discuss a document, which outlines recommendations to integrate the legislation in terms of sensitization of the population.
With the input from the various organizations it is expected that measures will be put in place to ensure that buildings are accessible to persons with disabilities.
The legislation also speaks to the rights and freedom of people with disabilities and focuses on key rights including the rights to education, health, independence, employment, recreation and participation in the political process.
As part of its ongoing sensitization effort, Williams said that the NCD has introduced a National Volunteer Disability Project through which the entity sought to recruit three volunteers to help raise awareness.
The pilot project, which started in July last, is characterized by the volunteers advocating on television and radio for persons with disability to get registered with the NCD which is situated on Croal Street, Georgetown.
And since not only Georgetown is being targeted, registration forms, she said, have also been distributed to the various Regional Democratic Councils so that disabled persons throughout the country can seek to be registered as well.
According to the NCD almost seven percent of the Guyanese population suffers from a disability of some sort, representing approximately 50,000 individuals. However based on the most recent census conducted by the Bureau of Statistics, about a decade ago, some 30,201 persons are living with disabilities.
As part of its attempt to have disabled members of the population registered the NCD has thus far been able to acquire the data for a total of 1,024 disabled individuals.
The NCD, in a statement to mark International Day for People with disabilities which was observed last week Saturday revealed that every member of the Guyanese population has a significant role in the implementation of the Persons with Disability Act.
The Guyana Constitution mandates the state to “take legislative and other measures” designed to protect disadvantaged persons and persons with disabilities. The Act stipulates that “the National Commission on Disabilities shall comprise 12 members appointed by the president of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana; it charges the commission with advising the government, coordinating actions on issues affecting persons with disabilities, and addressing implementation and monitoring of the Act’s provisions.
According to the United Nations persons with disabilities make up an estimated 15 per cent of the world’s population and almost one-fifth of the estimated global total of persons living with disabilities, or between 110 million and 190 million, encounter significant difficulties.
Furthermore, a quarter of the global population is directly affected by disability, serving as care-givers or family members. It has been noted, too, that persons with disabilities encounter many disadvantages in their societies and are often subjected to stigma and discrimination.
They remain largely marginalized, disproportionately poorer, frequently unemployed and have higher rates of mortality.
Additionally, they are largely excluded from civil and political processes and are overwhelmingly voiceless in matters that affect them and their society thus the need to implement crucial legislations such as the Persons with Disability Act.
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