When we empower individuals with disabilities to lead, Minister Keisal Peters
Government remains committed to continuing the implementation of policies and programmes which help persons with disabilities thrive.
This assurance came from Minister of National Mobilisation Hon. Keisal Peters, while addressing a rally to commemorate International Day of Persons with Disabilities, in Georgetown on Tuesday.
Minister Peters said this country continues to make strides by providing support, accessibility and representation for persons with disabilities.
Minister Peters stressed that strides have been made in a number of areas such as education, with the government’s introduction of inclusive education, whereby differently abled children are integrated into the mainstream education system, and this has yielded success.
The programme was piloted in a number of schools including the Fair Hall Government, where the school was equipped to accommodate differently abled students.
“These students are able to participate fully in school activities and then they will be further assigned to other mainstream educational institutions such as the Georgetown Secondary School, the Adelphi Secondary School, the Bequia Anglican school and the St. Joseph’s Convent Kingstown,” Peters said.
Students are also able to enter other schools based on CPEA exams, and additional support is provided to ensure they are fully integrated. Peters also noted under government’s infrastructural development, public building are built with the requisite accommodation for persons with disabilities.
Peters added that all this is in addition to the traditional social protections programmes such as the “provision of monthly disability, social protection grants through the Public assistance programme…..assistance with meals and transportation to facilitate their participation in school, medical assistance, utility bill assistance and under the home help for the elderly programme, persons with disabilities who are shut-ins are provided with care and assistance.”
The Minister also emphasised that when persons with disabilities are empowered, the society as a whole thrives.
“When we empower individuals with disabilities to lead, we enrich our institutions and our communities with diverse perspectives, this not only fosters innovation, but it builds systems that are more inclusive and representative of society as a whole,” Minister Peters said.
