By Our Guest Writer
GANTA: Delegates of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) from the fifteen (15) political subdivisions of Liberia converged in the commercial City of Ganta, Nimba County, to commemorate the International Day of Persons With Disabilities (IDPWDs).
The delegates call to National Government to establish a Disability Equity Fund through a legally binding instrument that will prioritize the needs and aspirations of PWDs in the country.
The three days event which started from December 1st-3rd, was organized by the National commission on Disabilities (NCD) in collaboration with the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled (NUOD) and sponsored by Government of Liberia (GOL) and its partners
Addressing the delegates at program marking the International Day of Persons With disabilities (IDPWD) on Tuesday December 3,2024, the Executive Director of the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD) Samuel S. Dean said PWDs are no longer willing to be beggars in the land of plenty resources and opportunities as this year’s international theme of IDPWD is “Amplifying the leadership of PWDs for inclusive and sustainable future” and our local theme is, “Strengths in inclusivity every ability counts”.
Dean who is also known as Chief Inclusivity Officer of the Republic of Liberia said, we have gathered here with a unified vision and a shared commitment to advance in equity and opportunities for PWDs in Liberia as both themes resonate deeply with our mission and highlight the power of inclusivity and underscored the importance of amplifying the leadership of PWDs as the themes recognize the slogan of the Disability Rights movement, “Nothing about us without us,”.
“It is about time for concessionaires, multi-national and businesses entities to contribute to a National Disability Equity fund through a legally-binding instrument which will ensure stability for our community regardless of budget constraints, Dean stated citing that “we want a National Disability Equity Fund where the Government can task companies and entities to pay certain amount for utilizations of PWDs,” Dean noted.
He said companies and business entities like Bear Mountain, Firestone, ArcelorMittal among others exploit our resources without even employing Disabled persons adding that is about time that these people hire our people as spelled out in the NCD’s Act.
Meanwhile, Dean has also highlighted the need for National Disability Registry to address the need for reliable collection of data of PWDs and realistic budgets.
He said to address the community’s need, we must establish a National Disability Registry that is crucial for understanding who our people are in various category and how we can best support them or else our efforts will go in vain.
He however expressed disappointment on the part of government’s low prioritization of disability issues evident in the mega budgetary allocation for the occasion as they committee less than one percent of the budget they presented even though he couldn’t exclude himself.
“We have intentionally chosen Ganta City, Nimba county for this program for the fact that appearing in Development, Ganta remains a Hub of inequality ironically the very building where we gather today is inaccessible and lacks universal design as mandated by article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (UNCRPD), ” Dean intoned.
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992 under Resolution 47/3. The day aims to promote the rights, dignity, and inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society. It also serves as a platform to raise awareness about the challenges faced by this community and to advocate for equal opportunities.
