Public Awareness Campaign on Disability Issues Launches

Contact: Tesa St. Ange

Tuesday, September 12, 2000 – An appeal is being made for greater public sensitivity towards the problems and needs of disabled persons. This past Sunday saw the launch of a public awareness campaign on disability issues by the National Council of the Disabled under the slogan "I am not disabled, I am differently able".

The campaign evolved from a 1998 multi-lateral project undertaken by the Organization of American States Executive Secretariat for Integral Development in Collaboration with the National Centre for Persons with Disabilities of Trinidad and Tobago. The project aims at building public awareness about disabilities and the needs of disabled individuals and seeks to promote the equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities. Participating countries include Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago.

The sensitisation campaign will involve the dissemination of public awareness materials, particularly via the media. The materials consist of posters, press ads and a disability booklet called Open Doors, which is also produced in Braille, and for radio and television. Dr. Rebecca Ribeiro of the National Advisory Committee on Special Education of Trinidad and Tobago presented the materials to the Ministry of Health, Human Services, Family Affairs and Gender Relations, "The video, radio, press ads and posters focus squarely on persons with disabilities giving testimonies of their lives, their struggles and their determination to achieve and to succeed. Parental encouragement, accomplishments and words of advice to fellow persons with disabilities and their parents are also featured in the material," she said.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Michael Gaspard received the materials on behalf of the Minister of Health, the Honourable Sarah Flood-Beaubrun. "All citizens, including persons with disabilities should have an opportunity to access appropriate educational and training and income generating opportunities. It is our commitment that disabled persons should be able to be integrated within the society and be treated fairly and be valued independently of their economic contribution. In short, the Government of St. Lucia and this Ministry are committed to those persons within our society who are differently able enjoying the same fundamental freedoms, rights and services as those of us who are not physically challenged," he said.

Persons with disabilities face challenging lives. They attempt to participate equally in society but are unable to do so at the same rate due, not only to their disability, but also to a greater extent by negative societal attitudes. As pointed out by the United Nations (1983), most disabled persons are handicapped due to the barriers that exist in society. Traditionally, disability has been seen as the "problem" of the individual, with the onus for change placed on him. Now, it is recognized that it is the responsibility of society to not create the environment that turns the person with a disability into a disabled person.

The objectives of the campaign are to demonstrate the various activities of, and progress made by, persons with disabilities; to improve the self-esteem of persons with disabilities; to encourage and so motivate persons with disabilities to empower themselves; to encourage parents of disabled children to assist them in becoming empowered; to instill in the public conscience that as citizens, persons with disabilities have the same rights and responsibilities as other members of the society to participate in the social, cultural, economic and political life of their communities.

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