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Equality, consideration and respect for persons with disabilities in Guyana

May 29, 2015 Letters

Dear H.E. President David Granger and Hon. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo,
I didn’t mind waking up before sunrise on 11th May, 2015.  I didn’t mind waiting in line outside of my designated polling station for it to open.  And I didn’t even mind having to be lifted out of my wheelchair and carried upstairs in order to vote.  I was eager to be a part of the change so many of us had been anticipating; in truth I would have crawled up those stairs, if necessary.
Today, I am happy to see that my vote made a difference, and I am eager and excited about the years to come under your administration.  I am eager to work with you and my fellow Guyanese to make meaningful contributions to our society, to be a functioning cog in the machinery which allows our nation to benefit as a whole.
Looking back on images of this historic day, we see inspiring photos of senior citizens and persons with disabilities who came out to vote despite their physical challenges; whether it meant doing so slowly but surely on their own, or through the assistance of another person.  We saw them diligently going about the task with their walkers and wheelchairs, crutches and canes or being carried or guided by loved ones.  These images are indeed inspiring on the surface because they show the determination of these people to play a part in shaping our society, no matter how inconvenient or exhausting it may be.  But it is not enough to capture these images and share them on social network with some perfunctory inspirational caption, or use them to guilt your reluctant friend or neighbor into voting.  These images offer only a tiny glimpse of the daily challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Guyanese society.  Although I was very heartened to see the Commonwealth Observer Group note the inaccessibility of many polling stations in their official report, I would like to remind the public that we vote one day, every five years; persons with disabilities face many more difficulties that go unnoticed in between this time.
Which is why, as a citizen who has been disabled since birth, I am asking you to please ensure that the evaluation and implementation of the Disability Act 2010 is a top priority during your time in office.  If you examine the Act yourself, you will see that there has been very little done in the way of the implementation of this Act since 2010, and that persons with disabilities have benefited very little from it.
It remains incredibly difficult for persons with disabilities in Guyana to gain access to adequate education and employment.  Consequently, many persons with disabilities in Guyana remain illiterate or undereducated and dependent upon family, that is, when they are fortunate enough to have a family willing to support them.  Accessible transportation and housing are also major issues.
There is a saying in the disability community that goes, Nothing About Us Without Us; what it means is that you can best learn about Disability and persons living with it through interacting with them.  I would like to suggest that the APNU+AFC administration liaise closely with the National Commission on Disability, and the numerous other local DPOs (disabled persons organisations), who would be more than willing to work with this government.  And work there is to be done, but also great reward that comes with it.
I, and so many other persons with disability have voted for you, but we cannot fully join you in partnership for a better Guyana until there is equality, consideration, inclusion and respect for persons with disabilities in Guyana.  I do not expect this change to come immediately, but I do expect it to come soon.
Thank you, and God Bless you both and the great work ahead of you.
Seated Citizen 

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