Latest update April 11th, 2025 9:20 AM
President Jagdeo pledges financial commitment to Deaf Awareness Week activities
President Jagdeo, Director of the Support Group for Deaf Persons Leon Walcott (seated) and other members of the group at the Office of the President
President Bharrat Jagdeo has pledged to financially support Deaf Awareness Week activities set to begin on Sunday with a march and rally at the National Park.
This commitment was made yesterday when the Head of State met with the support group for deaf persons at the Office of the President.
Director of the Group, Leon Walcott, who is himself physically-challenged, explained that the meeting was essentially to discuss the group’s activities and its members’ concerns for deaf persons and the disability movement in Guyana.
“The President was very receptive and he has promised to take a number of initiatives that are aimed at improving the inclusion of persons with disabilities in Guyana where social services-education, health and so on are concerned,” he said.
He noted that the support group has already made much progress working in partnership with a number of Ministries including the Health, Education, Human Services, and Labour Ministries.
The Director lauded the efforts of Government to take their concerns to the level of Parliament with the introduction of the Disability Bill through the National Commission on Disability.
The support group was formed in 2005 and was born from a project initiated in partnership with the National Deaf Children’s Society, local partners and the Guyana Community Based Rehabilitation Programme.
He said the group’s aim is to assist deaf persons as much as possible through seminars and discussions.
The support group was recently successful at training 63 persons in sign language which is a principal means of communication for the hearing-impaired.
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