The Office of Prime Minister (OPM) Mark Phillips yesterday donated laptop computers to the Disabled People’s Network (DPN) of Region Five.
The handover ceremony, organised by the Office of the Prime Minister’s Industry and Innovation Unit, took place in the OPM boardroom on Camp Street.
Phillips, who holds oversight of the telecommunications sector, in a brief comment, reiterated the Government’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and its drive to empowering persons living with disabilities, especially in the area of ICT, a release from the OPM said.
“I want to assure you that as we approach the issue of information, communication technology and bridging the digital divide, it is not just about what obtains on the coastland and what obtains on the hinterland, it is about giving access to all the people wherever they are located and whatever your status, if you are a person living with a disability, we feel that you also must have access to ICT”, he said.
Phillips, who is performing the functions of President, added that the donation, which is outfitted with braille software, will enable connectivity to current events, opportunities, and services provided by the Government and will serve to mobilise others to gain access to ICT.
The Prime Minister also praised the Unit’s workers for their pioneering efforts.
Coordinator of the Disabled People’s Net-work, Premnauth Sukhdeo, thanked the Prime Minister for the donation, which he said would take the DPN a long way and would ensure greater connectivity for the group.
The release said that DPN is an NGO that provides vocational and educational training for persons with disabilities in areas such as mathematics, English, and information technology.
Meanwhile, the Industry and Innovation Unit in collaboration with the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD), is currently hosting a three-month programme of ICT training sessions for persons who are blind and visually impaired.
