Dear Editor,
The Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) joins the United Nations (UN), members of the international and regional disability communities and Guyanese living with disabilities to observe International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) today, Tuesday 3rd December 2019.
The theme for this year is “promoting the participation of persons with disabilities and their leadership: taking action on the 2030 development agenda”. The UN designated the observance of this Day, in 1992, to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).
In accordance with the Guyana PWD Act 2010 and our advocacy efforts to ensure the full and equal participation of PWDs in all spheres of our Guyanese society, we take this opportunity to urge our policy makers and other members of society to ensure that the inherent human rights of all PWDs are fulfilled and they have an equal opportunity to live independent, dignified and productive lives. Any development agenda in Guyana must consider the voices of persons living with disabilities. This will ensure that their rights and needs are clearly communicated and understood. For this reason, whenever policies, infrastructure and other initiatives are planned, developed and implemented, it should always be done with the meaningful input of the affected population. We also call on all members of our Guyanese society to play a role in ensuring PWDs live in a barrier-free society with limited instances of discrimination.
GCOPD also takes this opportunity to call on our policy makers to:
– Develop a programme for the allocation of a monthly “Disability Grant” to qualified PWDs, as a living allowance. This grant should be administered separately from the “Public Assistance” Grant;
– Ensure that qualified and skilled PWDs be allocated a small percentage of all public sector jobs;
– Ensure that all public schools are accessible and are governed by a relevant Special Education Needs policy that promotes the integration and full participation of children with disabilities, ensuring they acquire a meaningful education;
– Ensure that all public buildings are accessible to PWDs, in compliance with the Guyana PWD Act 2010;
– Ensure that PWDs have an opportunity to participate in our electoral process and can vote independently;
– Ensure that PWDs have a voice in the expenditure of the revenues from the oil and gas sector;
The 2030 agenda for sustainable development pledges to “leave no one behind”. In order to ensure that there is equitable, inclusive and sustainable development in Guyana, the Guyana PWD Act 2010 must be implemented in its entirety and persons living with disabilities must be empowered with the voice and opportunities to participate, contribute and benefit equally and meaningfully from Guyana’s development thrust.
GCOPD is the umbrella body that represents the majority of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) from across Guyana working in the areas of advocacy and capacity building. The DPOs represents all types of disabilities.
Yours faithfully,
Ganesh Singh
Programme and
Communications Officer, GCOPD
