Disabled fight for their rights

The consultant, in front of about five or six interns, responds she has no right to ask for the test and she is a “drain on society and a waste of taxpayers’ money”.

This was an example of discrimination members of the local disabled community experience, but they now have an opportunity to have their voices heard via the National Survey on Disability. The survey is an initiative by CODO and Ramlakhan is the technical adviser.

She told Sunday Newsday it is the first time in this country persons with disabilities themselves can file a report to the United Nations.

“We want to give people with disabilities the most opportunity to participate and have an input in this survey.” Since this country ratified the UN Convention on Persons with Disabilities in 2015, she said, there is a move from a charity-based, medical model to a rights-based model and it is the role of CODO to push that agenda. Ramlakhan said there is discrimination of persons with disabilities at all levels including education, the justice system, employment and transportation.

She reported the recommendations from CODO include having all buildings accessible to wheelchairs, a legislative review and getting proper statistics because if they do not have empirical evidence it is difficult to advocate. She said the absence of statistics was “very telling” of the degree of neglect placed on persons with disabilities.

“They are not even counted.” She said personally it is difficult to be at work in a place not designed for you, not being able to get to work if the elevator is not working and without an accessible washroom facility.

She added that having to be physically carried on a plane is “undignified.” Sunday Newsday also spoke with CODO president Jacqui Leotaud at the Immortelle Children’s Centre for Special Education in St Ann’s where she is principal.

She pointed out that after Government ratified the UN Convention part of their obligations was to submit a report to the UN on June 25, exactly one week ago. She said, however, CODO has no indication this has happened.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi told Sunday Newsday he would have to check on the report. Attempts to contact Minister of Social Development Cherrie-Ann Crichlow Cockburn via telephone were unsuccessful.

Leotaud said civil society is allowed to prepare their own report and this is what they have decided to do.

She explained the survey is part of gathering information and research specific to persons with disabilities. As part of their research, they had to approach the State to find out if buildings are accessible and what services they provide. She said the goal is capture everyone with a disability and get feedback on how they live and the problems they have.

The survey began on June 1 with an initial deadline of June 30 but it has been extended to July 30. Leotaud said the extension was to ensure that people with all types of disabilities can respond to the survey. She explained that submissions can be made via computer or the visually impaired or blind can have the word “survey” text in to CODO and a representative will call them to get the information.

She said, though, for the intellectually impaired they may not be able to fill out the survey for themselves.

She said the response so far has not been “completely wonderful”.

Asked why this could be, she believed people with disabilities are not accustomed to people asking for their opinions and it may be a “cultural thing”. She said when a man in a wheelchair has to be physically lifted to go to court and you live in a country that does not respect you to have a ramp installed, they may wonder “why even bother” to answer survey questions. She noted, however, they require a certain level of response for their research project and so they are pushing for the community’s feedback.

Leotaud said there needs to be more awareness for people with disabilities to believe in their rights.

She explained that before it was about a charity approach but they are advocating for the recognition of rights.

Asked about the number of people with disabilities in the country, Leotaud said the Central Statistical Office (CSO) has not done a count for years.

In the 2011 Population and Housing Census the count was 52,243 but Leotaud believes the figure is too low due to how general the questions were.

She explained that using the Washington Group Short Set of Questions on Disability, one country saw their disability percentage more than double from 10 per cent to about 22 per cent.

She said with these more specific questions people who do not see well or hear well would be captured as well.

According to the World Bank, 15 per cent of the world’s population experiences some form of disability and therefore at 1.3 million there would be an estimated 195,000 persons with disabilities in this country, which is more than 30 times the CSO figure.

Leotaud also pointed out the elderly population is not accounted for despite many of them developing hearing problems, vision problems or mobility issues.

She stressed that if Government would make sure that areas are accessible to the disabled then it will also be accessible to the elderly population.

She personally has rheumatoid arthritis and walks with a cane and it has been a “learning curve” having a disability herself.

She said together with the survey, they have been doing focus groups with parents of persons with disabilities and professionals who work with persons with disabilities, such as speech and occupational therapists.

They have also requested information from all parts of Government, including the Education Ministry, Health Ministry and social services, regarding issues such as accessibility.

Leotaud said some bodies requested an extension but by the end of last month they should have received information from all.

She explained CODO will send their report to the UN though they are hoping that Government would have prepared its own report to be addressed as well. She said the hope is that the UN will query Government about shortcomings and what they plan to do about it.

Leotaud said an inter-ministerial commission was set up after the convention was ratified and a draft policy on persons with disabilities was prepared. She said the initial draft was “extremely general” in its plans and there were not enough specific measures and a second draft was prepared this year and stakeholder meetings were being held on it.

Asked about this country compared to its regional neighbours, Leotaud said many had not ratified the UN Convention though Jamaica and St Lucia had very good policies for persons with disabilities.

She said Trinidad and Tobago did well in having good special education schools, though there were not many overall, but fell down in other areas such as pavements not being accessible for the blind and visually impaired, a lack of signing for the deaf on newscasts, a lack of services for children with disabilities in the mainstream education system resulting in many failing every year and no schools for children with cerebral palsy other than the Princess Elizabeth Centre.

At Immortelle, they have a capacity for 72 and Leotaud’s 35-year-old daughter who is developmentally delayed, attends there. She said very few move out of the school as there is nowhere for them to go, such as supervised work facilities, and they have students in their 40s and 50s.

She reported a national policy was also developed but that had too many generalities. She stressed the policy recommendations must also be made into law otherwise they will not be implemented.

She said CODO, which represents all 43 local disability organisations, has been able to stick together for 15 years and they will keep “fighting the fight”.

For more information or to participate in the survey please call 361-0096, see their website www.codott.org or check out their Facebook page TTCODO.