By MARIE KITAWA
UPNG JOURNALISM STUDENT
PERSONS with Disabilities (PWD) Community in Papua New Guinea are calling on the Government to take on board four recommendations which will help improve communications between PWD and various stakeholders.
The recommendations are to ensure that they are not left behind.
Speaking at the official launching of the Disability Inclusive Communications Guide for the Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion Community of Practice (GEDSI CoP) in Port Moresby last Friday, Co-Chairperson of the NCD Deaf Association, Clare Guria who is also a person with disability said PWDs have encountered many issues over the years with lots of challenges.
“Yet we keep our heads above water fighting for our rights, a place to belong, accepted and recognised for our disabilities. Barriers of our disabilities has ceased our involvement in many ways to participate in this fast-flowing thriving digital era for a fairer world,” Guria said.
The four recommendations include: Firstly, for the government to make a commitment to integrate the Disability Communications Guide into the Law and Justice Sector Policy with a strategic plan as of 2023 – 2033. Secondly, to review and update the current gender, equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) policy. Thirdly, for the Department of Community Development and Religion to look into the grant for persons with disabilities as this grant is used to support the sign language interpreters and as well as to assist in implementing the sign language dictionary and; Finally, to integrate the Sign language dictionary which is currently on hold into the early learning education curriculum.
Guria who has lost her hearing and experiences speech difficulty said when she was in Grade 6 she also encountered difficulties during her educational journey as a result of her disability, however, she wanted to change all that for the children who are deaf by providing them with learning tools to make education and communication easier for them to learn.
