A Voice of Our Own

The primary objective of the Policy “is to create a social and physical environment favouring accessibility, integration and full participation of persons with disabilities.” At the launch of the Policy held on June 14, 2006, I was swept up in a sense of euphoria, as it slowly dawned on me that a personal dream of mine had overcome a major obstacle, and was well on its way to becoming a reality.

I also felt a great sense of justification as the many days we spent on Wrightson Road, the many, public appearances, the many many phone calls I made and received and the overriding frustration which was felt by the disabled community was about to be worth it. I also felt a sense of reassurance that the society as a whole would benefit as most of us will grow old, our eye sight may fail, and our hearing may become less acute or a car accident may leave us unable to use our legs. I thought, now the population should sleep better at night, knowing that if difficult times may befall us in life, we need not be excluded from life.

The policy while a practical measure to alleviate the physical obstacles which exist in our environment has also removed some of the psychological negativity and damage that has been felt and done to the disabled community for many, many years. For this we thank all those who have worked steadfastly to ensure that the Policy is complete. Thanks again... I cannot say it enough.

And now the real work has begun. Implementation is not an easy task; it requires focus, discipline, support and a steadfast heart. We expect that many changes will be taking place, and as it is with change, some will be easily accepted even going unnoticed while other may initiate an outcry. I have often been asked the question . . . “what do you say to someone who says changing things to facilitate the disabled is expensive.” My first response is that it should have been made that way in the first stance and my second is that the value added by the disabled to the community far surpasses the costs associated with facilitating our right to actively participate in life.

In this regard the Trinidad and Tobago Chapter of Disabled Peoples’ International, despite our limited resources, intends to the best of our ability ensure that the Action Plan set out in the National Policy is enacted, implemented and monitored. It is a difficult challenge, and any help you may wish to offer in this regard would be greatly appreciated, but we accept the challenge on behalf of all those who are less able in society.

For further information on the Trinidad and Tobago Chapter of Disabled Peoples’ International (TT-DPI) or to offer assistance please contact us at 1-868-624-6060 or email us at dpi_tt@yahoo.com or dpi-tt@tstt.net.tt