DAPD to celebrate 30 years

Members of the DAPD executive at Thursday’s press conference

The Dominica Association of Persons with Disabilities (DAPD Inc.) will on October 26th, 2013 celebrate 30 years of being the representative voice for persons with disabilities on the island.

The anniversary will be celebrated under the theme “Thirty years of advocating for an all-inclusive society.”

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday Executive Director of DAPD, Nathalie Murphy, said a number of activities throughout the year will be used to commemorate the anniversary.

A carnival t-shirt band in February sponsored by the Japanese government, wheel-a-walk-a-thon and annual general meeting in April, Dinner in the Dark in May to observe Blind Awareness Month, White Cane Day, World Sight Day and National Dollar Day in October and a three-day employment symposium for persons with disabilities in December are some of the activities planned, according to Murphy.

President of the DAPD, Alexander St Luce, made a plea the public and private sectors to support the events.

“These are our plans but we need a lot of money … we need financial support to make sure that our plans and activities are achieved and I am putting a plea out there to corporate citizens who have not supported DAPD as yet … you are welcome to make a contribution and help us achieve our goals,” St. Luce stated.

According to him, with courage and persistence the DAPD has pursued its mission of creating an all-inclusive society and after thirty years significant progress has been made.

The government’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities last year was noted as a major achievement of the association during its years of operation and according to St. Luce this ratification places the association in a better position to advocate for its members.

“We have undertaken programmes and promoted the full and active participation and equality for persons with disabilities, and this advocacy has resulted in the ratification of the UN convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the government of Dominica, now that we have this International Treaty on our side, out thrust towards the creation of an ‘all-inclusive society’ will intensify and our 30th anniversary observance will be the platform on which we build on,” St. Luce further noted.

The ratification of the convention allows for the government to provide accessibility to all government buildings as well as public buildings and the right of persons with disabilities to have equal access and opportunities as ordinary citizens.

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