Social Development consultations continue

In the latest round of consultations, Minister Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn addressed participants last Friday at the Kampo Vibes Restaurant in Chaguanas.

Crichlow-Cockburn stated that her ministry remains committed to engaging the national community, with particular emphasis on persons with disabilities, in a conversation which would lead to a comprehensive and an all-inclusive National Policy on Persons with Disabilities for Trinidad and Tobago.

The minister added that feedback from the consultation would be critical to developing an action plan for the implementation of the National Policy. She assured that issues raised would be given due consideration and urged participants to prioritise their recommendations given the limited resources now available.

Main topics for discussion were the need for greater awareness through education; a more preventative approach with respect to acquired disability; a more collaborative and participative approach among State agencies and civil society; the improvement of the Differently Abled Mobile Service (ELDAMO) bus service; and greater support for caregivers in both the private and public health care systems.

Through the ministry’s Disability Affairs Unit, sustained efforts are continuing, and the required structures and strategies were in place to meet the stipulations of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was ratified in 2015, as well as the 2030 Development Agenda. The National Policy for Persons with Disabilities will serve as a blueprint for advocating the cause and meeting the specific needs of the growing population of persons with disabilities.