Hekoi’s plea to make PNG friendly for People with Disabilities

Hekoi Igo

PORT MORESBY: HEKOI Igo from the PNG Assembly for Disable Persons (PNGADP) has called for greater participation by People With Disabilities (PWD) in policy and decision making processes.

He said PNGADP’s motto’s of “Nothing about us without us” calls for greater participation by PWDs in policies or activities that concern the welfare of PWDs. 

“A PWD sitting in at a workshop or meeting doesn’t qualify that he or she has fully participated.”

Speaking at the lunch seminar hosted by Strongim Pipol Strongim Nesen in Port Moresby to mark National Disable Day on 22 March 2012, Hekoi said negative opinions and sympathy for PWDs were the real obstacles for growth and opportunities for PWDs in PNG.

Hekoi shared a glimpse of his everyday life as a visually impaired person who is happily married to a to his wife of many years who is confined to a wheelchair and the joys of raising two beautiful daughters who have now given him the honour to be called” bubu tau”(grandfather in motu).

He recounted his day to day chores of water collection from the nearby water source in Gaire village, Central Province where he resides, with tales of falling over hollow tracks but eventually being able to access this basic necessity. 

Hekoi spoke with a lot of charisma of being able to provide clean water for cooking and drinking for his family as the head of his household. He also spoke proudly of a new trend he had introduced to Gaire village when he put his wife’s old wheelchair as a rickshaw to carry water containers. The whole village are now using old and new wheelchairs to transport water.

“ Our (PWD) accessibility must be taken in to consideration when designing building and other basic infrastructure or services such as water supply. This would appease some of the hardships we face daily in accessing and using these facilities.”

PWD Tole Wia from PNGADP
stressing a point to SPSN Deputy
Program Director Trevor Ole.

Hekoi’s colleague, Tole Wia, who is a wheelchair user, reaffirmed the need for increased access and basic services designed to meet the needs of PWDs in PNG.

He said life would be a lot better if PWDs could reach and access basic amenities like their fellow able bodied wantoks in PNG and this included access on Public Transport.

PNGADP is a nationally recognised umbrella organisation for support services providers for PWDs in the country. The group formed in 2002 is headed by Ipul Powasa as president with five affiliates which are organisations that are managed and run by PWDs.

Increasing Participation and Services for Person(s) with Disability is one of SPSN key priority areas along with Health, Education and Gender Equality.

SPSN is also working with the PNG Education Department to link up with 21 special education resource centres across PNG to form a network advocating for increased benefits and participation for people with special needs.

For more information SPSN Gender and Social Inclusion Erica Ogoba-Kukari on email: info(AT)spsnpng.com.  For information on PNGADP email: pngadp(AT)gmail.com