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Differently-abled people eager for Persons with Disability Bill

Nov 26, 2009 News

Say much still needs to be done

 

The differently-abled community is pleased with the tabling of the Persons with Disability Bill, and is anxiously awaiting its passing.

The much-anticipated Bill was presented by Minster of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy at the most recent sitting of the National Assembly last Thursday.

Even with the tabling of the Bill, however, there is the notion that much still needs to be done for differently-abled people in Guyana.

One such matter is the ratification of the United Nations Convention on Persons with Disabilities. It was adopted on December 13, 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and was opened for signature on 30 March 2007. It was signed by the Guyana Government on April 11, 2007.

The convention is intended as a human rights instrument with an explicit, social development dimension.

It adopts a broad categorization of persons with disabilities and reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

It clarifies and qualifies how all categories of rights apply to persons with disabilities and identifies areas where adaptations have to be made for persons with disabilities to effectively exercise their rights and areas where their rights have been violated, and where protection of rights must be reinforced.

Kaieteur News understands that the Persons with Disability Bill was drafted and presented to the government by the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities.

The Guyana Council, as it is most commonly referred to, is a forum for differently abled groups around the country.

The Guyana Council is a Presidential Commission and was set up in December of 1997 by Prime Minster Samuel Hinds.

There is discrimination faced by some differently-abled persons occurs with the public transportation, in that some bus drivers and conductors refuse to accept differently-abled persons into their buses, while some taxi drivers are reluctant to transport those dependent on wheel chairs.

There are hopes that the new legislation, once passed, will allow differently abled persons to be treated equally within and among society, and allow for children with special needs to attend public schools.

The differently abled community is hoping to have the legislation passed at this weeks sitting of the National Assembly, as next week brings National Week for Persons with Disabilities. Many activities are planned for the Week, including the distribution of awareness materials, to further sensitise the public on differently abled persons.

Dr. Ramsammy mentioned to this newspaper that the Disability Bill was among a number of priority legislation that was identified at Cabinet Level. From all indications the Bill may be debated and possibly passed at tomorrow’s sitting of the National Assembly.

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