Latest update December 21st, 2024 1:52 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Persons with disabilities can enjoy a better life

Jun 26, 2010 News

The world of work is changing at a rapid pace, and the changes are likely to accelerate during the 21st century. Employment arrangements such as temporary employment, short-term hires, contractual positions, leased workers, and on-call and part-time workers have and will continue to influence the career development of all workers.
These changes are having a substantial impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities, the settings in which they live and work and the events that occur in their lives.
Being disabled should not necessarily be viewed as being unemployable, but too often that is the case despite the great potential most disabled people could offer today’s knowledge-based workplace, some priority should be placed on the integration of people with disabilities into society hence employment is the key.
Thus the purpose of vocational training is to prepare individuals for the world of work and make them employable for a broad group of occupation.
Facilitating integration is the responsibility of everyone but when people with disabilities are involved there is a need to remind public authorities that a new paradigm must be found, rather than locating the problem as the disability within the person, the new paradigm should look at the nexus between the individual with a disability and the environment.
From this perspective, one will see that the problem is not a person’s inability or disability, but the political, social, attitudinal and environmental barriers that he/she has to overcome. Intervention can also be conducted in holistic ways that will ultimately bring great benefits, not only to people directly affected by disabilities, but to society as a whole.
This will entail full commitment to changing society’s perception of the disabled people and opening the doors to full participation in society and the job market.
Society generally holds diminished expectations for people with disabilities.  These attitudes are pervasive; they influence all of us to some degree. As a class, people with disabilities have suffered discrimination. Individuals with disabilities face common social problems of stigma.
In delivering the feature address at the first General Assembly of the Guyana Disabled People’s Organisation (GDPO) at the Critchlow Labour College, Woolford Avenue, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand said, “We need to realise our full potential as a country and make use of all our resources. We should also realise that persons with disabilities can make a significant contribution to the very fabric of society,”
She further stated that there is a need for attitudinal change towards people with disabilities and urged that that discrimination and stigmatisation be eliminated at all cost.
Vocational training is a component of the Rehabilitation Programme; it involves skills training, placement, work assessment, work training and follow-up from evaluation and work training centres.
Guyana boosts only one such facility (The Open Doors Centre; National Vocational Training Centre for Persons with Disabilities).
The Centre offers training courses and programmes for persons aged 16 or above with disabilities to enhance their employment prospects and to equip them with job skills for open employment. Courses are full-time and are structured to meet the specific needs of persons with disabilities.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

 

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Futebol Real Brazil executive Naranda Wislon visits Guyana

Futebol Real Brazil executive Naranda Wislon visits Guyana

Dec 21, 2024

…A game-changing opportunity for youth footballers Kaieteur Sports- In a significant move to bolster the local football landscape, the Petra Organisation welcomed a distinguished visitor yesterday...
Read More
Windies captain Matthews cites lessons from T20I loss to refine strategies for ODI series

Windies captain Matthews cites lessons from T20I...

Dec 21, 2024

Powell calls for Reflection after West Indies suffer T20I whitewash

Powell calls for Reflection after West Indies...

Dec 21, 2024

Herstelling A are EBDCA/SPL T10 champs

Herstelling A are EBDCA/SPL T10 champs

Dec 21, 2024

Opinion Piece: Condemning the Nonsensical Guyana Cricket Board-Wehby Report Opposition

Opinion Piece: Condemning the Nonsensical Guyana...

Dec 21, 2024

India produce dominant 60-run win over West Indies to claim 2-1 T20I series victory in Mumbai

India produce dominant 60-run win over West...

Dec 20, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]