Tuesday, 28 October 2014

“Nothing About Us Without Us!”


Strongim Pipol Strongim Nesen with support from the Australian Government is distributing Assistive Devices and walking sticks, that is improving and increasing mobility for persons with disability.

“If we lived in a society where persons living with disability had easy and affordable access to assistive devices… and if the community was completely accepting and accessible, then our disability would not be an inconvenience. At present, the sad reality is that it is the society which handicaps us, and we are on a mission to change this.” 
These were Ben Theodore’s words, during the National Disability Policy Meeting held earlier this year. Ben Theodore is the Disability Support Officer at the Strongim Pipol Strongim Nesen (SPSN) Program. Despite being visually impaired, Ben is a dynamic and influential figure who advocates for the rights of persons with disability with a potent mix of determination and charm. He is a charismatic role model for the disabled community.

Ben’s words sum up the aspirations of the Special Needs Sector in Papua New Guinea, who work tirelessly to achieve equality for persons with disability so that we can create a society that is fair and inclusive for all.

These efforts have recently been given a huge boost with the gift of PGK6.4 million from the Australian Government, which has breathed new life into the PNG disability movement and opened doors to new and stronger partnerships between government departments, international agencies and non-government organisations. This has reinvigorated advocacy and service delivery throughout the sector.At the heart of this energised recommitment to special needs is the creation of a new ‘National Disability Policy for Improved and Equal Services for Persons with Disability’.
To make this ambitious dream a reality, the SPSN disability team (together with partners in government, civil society, disability organisations and persons with disability) have been burning the candle at both ends developing a coherent and authoritative set of policies and guidelines. 
To date, their achievements include:
    The completion of a comprehensive National Disability Policy Review. The final consultation brought together an inclusive and influential team of representatives, including Provincial Community Development Advisers and Provincial Disability Organisations. Many official agencies and a diverse range of persons with disability and other stakeholders were consulted and involved. The open and inclusive workshop was attended by more than sixty delegates, at a summit co-facilitated by the Department for Community Development and Religion and the PNG Assembly of Disabled Persons.

    The delivery of the first-ever national Wheelchair Service Training. This included both theory and practical sessions such as the measuring and fitting of clients, user training and delivery.

    Early intervention for children. 8,000 young people were screened and 121 fitted with hearing and visual aids.

    Data collection and registration. Information about the incidence and type of disability was collected in West New Britain to guide and inform future budgeting and planning for special needs in the province.

    National assistive guidelines drafted. In a highly consultative process, new guidelines were drawn up to help support staff and specialists provide quality assistive technology services to clients.

    Community-based rehabilitation. SPSN has trained more than 200 community workers in the provinces in the skills to fit assistive devices. This brings these services closer to persons with disability, through community-based rehabilitation. 

    Wheelchair distribution. Two hundred and twenty-six people in Port Moresby, Lae, Alotau and Mount Hagen have gained greater independence after receiving a wheelchair tailored to their needs. The wheelchairs will increase their mobility and allow greater participation in their communities. One mother (Linihafa from West New Britain) describes the difference this gift has made: “Before, I used to put my son in an empty box to help him sit upright, with pillows around him to provide support. Now he is able to sit comfortably, it’s a great relief.”

    A nationwide assistive device delivery rollout to 20 provinces. This is a massive mobilisation resulting in the distribution of more than 27,000 assistive devices at provincial and district level. SPSN provided training at 18 provincial centres, leading to more than 50 ‘camps’ assessing, fitting and delivering assistive devices in 38 districts.
It’s an impressive list of achievements and it’s just the beginning. The generous gift from the people of Australia has clearly galvanised a reawakening in disability services and awareness in PNG. Instrumental to the success of these programs is that the planning and implementation has been inclusive, involving the widest cross-section of persons with disability, together with partner organisations and Government.

So now, for the first time, persons with disability, as well as their families and everyone who works in the special needs field, can look to the future with optimism.
As Elina Seko, a board member of the National Disability Resource and Advocacy Centre, herself, a woman with disability, said, “A person with disability is just as capable as a normal bodied person. You can’t hold me back from anything really. We need equality across the board… it’s a case of getting the message out there that we should be able to do whatever we want to do. People have a right to be all that they can be. We all deserve a chance.”

So perhaps at last the ‘nation’s forgotten people’ who have been waiting so long for change will have to wait no more for a brighter future where their motto of “Nothing About Us Without Us!” is finally more than just a slogan.


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