BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-THE past two years have seen marginal progress for persons living with disabilities in the Federation, but as the nation celebrates the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities today (Dec. 3) it is clear that much work remains.
Begun by the UN in 1992, International Day of Persons with Disabilities “aims to promote an understanding of disability issues, the rights of persons with disabilities and gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities”.
According to the UN, recent studies indicate that as much as 20% of the populations living in developing nations may be living with a disability, which makes this year’s theme of “Making the Millennium Development Goals Inclusive: Empowerment of persons with disabilities and their communities around the world” all the more important.
St. Kitts-Nevis Association for Persons living with Disabilities (SNAPD) President Anthony Mills took the theme to heart over the past year and his association has made a more focused effort to bring the discussion about disabilities to the community level.
Throughout the year, SNAPD has hosted a wide variety of community based events aimed at educating the general public on inequalities persons living with disabilities face on a daily basis.
These events included a pair of town hall meetings, visits to many primary and secondary schools and even a children’s Halloween party in late-October.
The active public relations campaign by SNAPD has seen some success for the group over the past year, including ramps being installed at the St. Kitts General Post Office in Basseterre after two years of lobbying to the government.
However, Mills said that there remains a great deal yet to be accomplished before persons living with disabilities are fully integrated into everyday life in St. Kitts-Nevis.
“We hope to begin to see changes being made to things like the building code, movement on the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the passage of laws to protect our rights and dignity,” Mills stated.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted in his address today that disability is an issue affecting nearly everyone around the world in some way and must be addressed properly by all nations if the U.N. expects to meet its Millennium Development Goals.
“We are all vulnerable to disability, temporary or permanent, especially as we grow older. In most countries, at least one person in 10 is disabled by physical, mental or sensory impairment. A quarter of the global population is directly affected by disability, as care-givers or family members.
“Experience shows that when persons with disabilities are empowered to participate and lead the process of development, the entire community opens up. Their involvement creates opportunities for everyone -- with or without a disability,” he stated.
Mills said that on the local level in 2010, SNAPD plans to continue its aggressive campaign to inform the public and government officials on the rights of persons living with disabilities.
Today, he will make an appearance on the ZIZ programme Up Front to specifically address the issues as the countries of the United Nations mark this 17th International Day.
