Disability Bill closer to fruition

Nov 24, 2009 News

The much anticipated Persons with Disability Bill was read in Parliament last week, lending to the assumption that it’s passage and subsequent implementation may soon become a reality.

Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, at the most recent sitting of the House last week Thursday, presented the crucial legislation, which from all indications may be debated and possibly even passed at this week’s sitting.

The Act is designed to provide certain rights to persons with disabilities, including the promotion, protection and full equal enjoyment of those rights.

It is also intended to facilitate the enforcement of the rights and eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability even as it serves to provide for the welfare and rehabilitation for such persons.

In addition, the legislation provides for the registration of persons with disabilities through the already established National Commission on Disabilities.

It was during Parliament’s last recess that Minister Ramsammy told this newspaper that the Bill was listed among the priority legislations slated to be addressed by Parliament.

He disclosed that the Disability Bill was among a number of priority legislation that was identified at the Cabinet level.

The legislation was submitted to Cabinet sometime prior, but some major concerns were highlighted then.

The initial draft legislation called for every disabled person to become the responsibility of the state; that they are provided with housing and will no longer be required to pay bills.

“I also had major concerns about the draft legislation because we were trying to create a First World legislation,” the Minister had noted.

Although failing to reveal the specific concerns that were highlighted, Minister Ramsammy disclosed that it was based on the concerns raised at the level of Cabinet that the draft legislation was adjusted and returned to Cabinet, making it ready for tabling before Parliament.

Administrative Manager of the National Disability Commission, Ms Beverly Pile, had some months ago commented on the much needed Bill, stressing that “We definitely hope that something will be done urgently.”

Pile had disclosed to this newspaper that the Commission, which is located at 49 Croal Street, Georgetown, has been the nerve-centre to which all concerns of disabled persons are voiced.

According to her “they keep asking about the Bill. All we can say is yes we are working on it…that the Minister is doing everything possible.”

However, such an advisory only serve to make Persons with Disabilities and those within the Disabled People’s Organisations become more despondent and frustrated, Pile noted.

Currently there is nothing that can be done on their behalf, as there is nothing documented to give disabled persons any special rights, she added.

The Health Minister, under whose purview the Commission falls, had only recently emphasised that although Guyana has made tremendous progress over the years, there is still much more to be done in the area of disability, prevention and rehabilitation.

“I am disappointed that we have not been able to pass the Disability Bill as yet,” an area he noted that requires continued focus.