I would like to change the national conversation/debate to include discussions on the rights of persons with disabilities in the Federation. For too long we have been marginalized and with all the back and forth on the various subjects in the national dialogue our voices seem to get drown out. Let me invite all Kittitians and Nevisians at home and abroad to get involved in the total inclusion of persons with disabilities (P.W.Ds) in every aspect of life in this our great Federation and to put an end to all forms of discrimination.
It is significant that the world is currently celebrating the Year of the Youth, including youth with disabilities. This is because the United Nations recognizes that youth have an invaluable contribution to make to the future development of our world.
I was wondering what to write as it sometimes seems as no one was listening. We have seen some small victories and though you should enjoy the small victories and build on them, I just couldn't help feeling that most people were missing the big picture. Then some things happened; one, a very prominent doctor said something to me that I found very interesting and profound. He said that it was going to take someone with a lot of money joining the fight for the rights of persons with disabilities (in St. Kitts & Nevis) for us to achieve the goals that we have set for ourselves.
At first, I shrugged it off, but then I started to wonder: why as long as the SNAPD been around (founded in 1982) fighting for changes in society and the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities in this Federation, why after all the school visits, the meetings with public and private sector officials so little has been done to mainstream persons with disabilities? Was it really because persons with money and influence in St. Kitts and Nevis did not see this as an important issue, and if so why? These were just some of the questions that I asked myself.
I was then inspired by a posting on a very popular online forum (the SKNList). The post was a link to a video of a woman with no arms leading an independent life. This lady does everything with her feet including taking care of her family. The heading of this post was “Awesome woman…Very inspiring”. I was happy to see the link to this video posted and to see that someone found it inspiring. Now this was not the first time that a video like this had come through my email box, forwarded by someone who found inspiration in a person with a disability leading an independent life. They are often amazed at what a person with a disability can accomplish when they live in a more inclusive society. You see, this lady, even though she lives with a disability, is given every opportunity and support to lead an independent life…something we must continue to fight for.
Minister M. Liburd gave a powerful and passionate address to the nation for the commemoration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3rd Dec. 2010). One in which she wholeheartedly agreed with the secretary of the UN when he said that “governments need to do more to support people with disabilities”. She spoke of government’s commitment to improving the lives of persons with disabilities and that government is working to ensure the signing and ratifying of the UN convention on the right of persons with disabilities with long term goals to integrate the needs of the disabled into the Federation’s millennium development goals. She asked for a pledge “to keep the goals alive in the community of persons with disabilities” and made an appeal for inclusion and sensitivity.
As the president of the St. Kitts Nevis Association of Persons with Disabilities (SNAPD) I ask you, I urge you to let us keep lobbying government and the private sector for access, inclusion and an end to discrimination. As advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities and citizens of the Federation, this must be our goal. This will lead to independent living, higher self-esteem and less cases of depression among persons with disabilities in St. Kitts and Nevis.
I have been trying for some years now to inject into the national conversation the issue of the rights of persons with disabilities. This is a conversation that people, for the most part, don’t seem to want to have or try to avoid for whatever reason. People will agree in a heartbeat that the things that we are fighting for are necessary and or the right thing to do but are not willing to help to create a more inclusive society. They are not willing to make their restaurants, stores, offices, etc. accessible, hire and or train someone with a disability. Persons with disabilities in this Federation are underrepresented in the work place and not included in any of the various training programs/workshops in the public or private sectors.
Persons with disabilities in this Federation are for the most part still expected to stay at home; so the country was not and is not being made accessible. New public places are being built without any thought to the disabled even though appendix F of the building codes speaks to it. The problem here is that the provisions in this appendix are voluntary and most building owners don’t seem to see it as being important. We continue to lobby government to revise the building codes with a view to make the provisions in appendix F mandatory. We continue to seek legislation that will end discrimination and begin to level the playing field and ask that everybody do their part.
People are amazed at what persons with disabilities in other countries can do and even find inspiration in their lives; they even share with others so that they too can find inspiration. Yet persons with disabilities in St. Kitts and Nevis are not given the same opportunities for independent living. It’s as if people forget that we are their sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, mothers, fathers and grandparents. That if we are not given the same options as everyone else then we will continue to be avoidable burdens to our families, our communities and the country in many ways.
It is really my sincere hope that when people view videos like the one mentioned above, they would realize that the persons in them could very well have been Kittitians or Nevisians. That if given equal opportunities and the necessary support then our kids with disabilities can grow to do things that will amaze and even inspire. We have seen some small steps in the right direction in terms of access. Maybe these videos and our constant appeal would help to change the national conversation to include disability issues, would challenge the myths and stereotypes that suggest that persons with disabilities are somehow not capable of living independent lives and help people to see what persons with disabilities are capable of if given the same opportunities as everyone else.
I would like to see 2011 be the year that this nation begin to change the way persons with disabilities are viewed and treated. As the outgoing president of this association, I would like to acknowledge all of the persons that I’ve had the privilege to work with over the past two years. To all of the people, other associations, clubs, organizations and businesses that have donated their time or resources, I want to say a heartfelt thank you. I would like to ask you all to recommit to the work of the association and to the cause of inclusion and independent living for persons with disabilities in the Federation. As advocates we will increase our efforts to mainstream disability issues and hold government to the commitments it made to us and the international community. We will seek the same commitments from the private sector and the rest of the nation, ensuring that inclusion and equality is addressed at all levels. Our approach will continue to be one that’s focused on having our rights respected, and protected.
