All disabled not the same

According to the ministry, the national policy will also provide a holistic framework for achieving equal opportunity for all citizens with disabilities. The ministry said it is in keeping with its mandate and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which was ratified in 2015 as well as the 2030 development agenda.

Qushiba La Fleur, president of WeCare Deaf Support Network and acting executive officer for TT Association for the Hearing Impaired, told Sunday Newsday that she attended two consultations for the new draft policy.

She said at the consultations participants called for education and employment of persons with disabilities to be areas of focus. She also recalled one participant complaining that while ministry officials would say what they want to do “implementation takes a long time” or never happens at all.

La Fleur said they want companies to have their buildings suit the needs of persons with disabilities as employees but some were saying it is too expensive to make their buildings disabled friendly and prefer not to hire or engage with them. She said this was especially the case for deaf people as companies believe it will take time and cost them money.

“In our country we not seeing the importance of ensuring things are implemented. The fact is we should not be asking for it to happen but it should be mandatory.” In terms of education, La Fleur said there should be specialised curriculum for children with disabilities and trained teachers. She said that it should not just be an overall course for special education because a teacher of the deaf, for example, would not be able to teach a child with Down syndrome or autism.

She said for deaf children they are not as successful academically as they could be because the resources are too limited to ensure they more have access to schools and there is no curriculum designed for the deaf and hard of hearing.

La Fleur pointed out that despite Trinidad and Tobago signing on to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities the challenge was implementation and following through.

On the draft national policy she said her concern was that it was not specific. She gave the example of education and training and said that you cannot just say you will provide these things without specifying the appropriate support services and teaching aides.

“With disability you need to be specific.” She said the policy did not mention specialised curriculum geared towards children with disabilities.

She said the association can provide sign language interpreters for students but deaf students need additional technology as well as special education teachers.

She pointed out that the policy mentioned providing sign language training for parents and communities which was “fine” but this would not help deaf children when it comes to education.

La Fleur said most of the policy had been discussed before but reiterated that it does not address specifics.

“You have to break it up and be specific. Children with cerebral palsy, various disabilities, Down syndrome, how do you facilitate their needs? What are the necessary things they would need?” She said there is much information online regarding the UN convention so locally there is no need to reinvent wheel as some of their codes which are suitable for this country can be used.

Blind Welfare Association executive officer Kenneth Suratt told Sunday Newsday that he read the draft policy and made comments.

He recalled a disability policy being discussed 25 years ago but there are still no laws for the disabled. He said the United States has celebrated more than 25 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Suratt said TT should have had a national policy but is way behind time and needs to move quickly towards legislation.

“If you do not have laws a person who is blind cannot challenge the system. A policy is just expressing an intention. We need laws to protect the disabled and we going on almost two years to sign off on the charter.” He said the process has been too long at the draft stage, consultation and moving from green paper to white paper.

“I am tired of it.” Suratt said there is a draft building code to accommodate the disabled and a policy for housing but they are not law so people are not compelled to implement them and there is no way to challenge the situation. He said the Equal Opportunities Commission was the only body that had laws which speaks for the disabled.

He said the Ministry of Education has a policy for the disabled but again it is not law. Suratt said blind children were being refused entry to schools because they had no aide, there was no braille or large print.

“We must move swiftly into law.

If you don’t do (something) the disabled person take you to court and straight to Privy Council.” He said he was happy that child marriage laws were amended but questioned when there was going to be laws to deal with the disabled.

“I tired of policy. Too much of talk. I ask them when we going to see draft legislation. And that is what the conversation should be.

Not policy.” Suratt said the association would like to know when Government will draft laws before their five years are up.