First Lady: Hundreds with disabilities receive house lots

Hundreds of people with disabilities have been allocated house lots by the government in recent years, as part of a broad push to expand inclusion and uphold the rights of vulnerable populations, First Lady Arya Ali said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the First Lady said Guyana had taken “decisive steps to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities,” including in areas such as housing, employment, education and healthcare.

“A society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable. Guyana is proud of our efforts, as we believe that the most effective way to give true meaning to the Convention is through education, empowerment, and engagement,” she told the august gathering.

In addition to the distribution of house lots, Guyana’s “Men on a Mission” initiative has built homes and provided construction materials for people with disabilities.

The First Lady highlighted several ongoing initiatives, including the launch of the Centre for Equity, Opportunity and Innovation, which currently employs scores of persons with disabilities and provides “technical, vocational and business development training.”

The government has also implemented inclusive schooling, free assistive devices and healthcare, as well as lifelong public assistance for people with permanent disabilities.

Guyana’s commitment is guided by national legislation such as the Persons with Disabilities Act and reinforced by its Low Carbon Development Strategy. The National Commission on Disability serves as the main oversight body for promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.