The Trinidad and Tobago Chapter of Disabled Peoples' International (TT/DPI) is once again highlighting the importance of promoting and protecting the rights of disabled people in this country, as the world gets closer to observing International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The organisation will be hosting a news conference on that commemorative day, Friday December 3rd, to put a spotlight on several areas where the quality of life for disabled people has been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This Press Conference is geared towards highlighting and bringing much needed awareness of the issues faced by Persons of the Differently-Abled Community, in an attempt to prepare the building blocks to a more equitable and sustainable Society,” an official statement from the lobby said.
TT/DPI was established in 1985 as the organisation in T&T “with overall responsibility to achieve full participation of ALL persons with disabilities in the mainstream of life, through promotion and protection of their human rights”.
TT/DPI is calling on relevant stakeholders to intervene to ensure disabled people are not left behind, as the country learns to live with COVID-19.
Among the issues TT/DPI has flagged are:
Transportation: The complete collapse of the Elderly and Differently-Abled Mobile Service (ELDAMO).
Housing: Inadequate and unequitable distribution of affordable housing for the Differently Abled Persons at the Housing Development Corporation (H.D.C)
Accessibility: Limited access to public buildings for the Differently-Abled including inadequate parking for the disabled, inaccessible public rest rooms. Other areas include Employment and Educational opportunities.
This year, the Theme for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is Leadership and Participation of Persons with Disabilities toward an Inclusive, accessible and sustainable Post-Covid-19 World.
The United Nations notes that persons with disabilities in the world are among the hardest hit by COVID-19.
According to UN data, of the one billion population of persons with disabilities, 80% live in developing countries. In addition, an estimated 46% of older people aged 60 years and over are people with disabilities. Also, one in every five women is likely to experience disability in her life, while one in every ten children is a child with a disability.