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International Day for Persons with Disabilities |03 December 2013

Minister calls for attitude change towards people with disabilities

 The Minister for Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports Vincent Meriton is urging each one of us to reflect on our attitude towards people with disabilities.

“One of the larger barriers people with disabilities endure is attitude. Small things like the language we use can either dehumanise or empower people with disabilities…. Let us refer to the person rather than the disability, take time to update ourselves with the current terminologies and focus on abilities rather than the limitations,” says Minister Meriton in his message on the occasion of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities.

The full text of Minister Meriton’s message reads:

“December 3 each year is commemorated as the International Day for Persons with Disabilities.  It is an opportunity to raise awareness about disability and join the global effort to remove all barriers and realise the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in society.

“In recent years the UN general assembly has realised that the Millennium Development Goals  and other internationally agreed goals cannot be genuinely achieved without the inclusion and integration of the rights, well being and perspective of persons with disabilities in development  at national, regional and international levels.  This is of utmost importance at present as the world is taking stock of emerging issues and preparing for the post 2015 framework. The way forward will not be complete without a disability inclusive development agenda.                                                                                                                      Minister Meriton

“In Seychelles for the past couple of years a number of important milestones have been made in the area of disability, namely: the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability was ratified in 2009 and was translated into the maternal tongue in 2012; the initial progress report on the implementation of this convention has been drafted; and the process has started for a National Policy and National Plan of Action on Disability in Seychelles. While a lot remains to be done, what we will have achieved once all tools are completed is clear policy guidance and a roadmap to translate the international commitment for a disability inclusive society into concrete actions. This year’s theme ‘Break barriers, open doors for an inclusive society and development for all’, calls for exactly these types of actions that are geared towards effectively implementing the convention on the Rights of  Persons with Disability and realising equal opportunities for persons with disabilities.

“One of the larger barriers people with disabilities endure is attitude. Small things like the language we use can either dehumanize or empower people with disabilities. While each of us reflects on this day let us think deeply on this as it is also a reflection of ourselves. Let us refer to the person rather than the disability, take time to update ourselves with the current terminologies and focus on abilities rather than the limitations.”

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