Some heads of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) have lauded the spin offs of a project instituted to promote their rights.
The project was jointly carried out by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, the United Nations Population Fund in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs.
It is intended to strengthen the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), ensure accessibility and inclusive services and prevent all forms of discrimination in Cameroon.
“Statistics show that PWDs are among the most vulnerable in the world, most of them affected by high levels of poverty. The government with its partners are ready to accompany these people in the drive for inclusion,” the Minister of Social Affairs, Pauline Irene Ngune who co-chaired the steering committee meeting said.
Stakeholders from OPDs, representatives from Elections Cameroon, the National Institute for Statistics, Human Rights Commission, representatives from Ministries, heads of UN agencies and officials of the Ministry of Social Affairs met in Yaounde during the second steering committee of the project on 13th May 2024 to discuss the outcome of the project.
“Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) will receive more support from hospitals in terms of consultation because a good number of medical personnel were trained in the course of this project. Most doctors used to just imagine disability impairment, but they were trained in the course of this project and they now know how to classify disability,” Agbor Valery Orock, Executive President of the Coordinating Unit of the Association of PWDs South West Region told CRTV WEB.
The project also strengthened Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and equipped their leadership with skills to better run the structures. This has given rise to a management approach that is based on advocacy. Mr. Orock affirms the OPDs now have new tools that will help to step up advocacy.
Representatives of OPDs are calling on government to accelerate efforts to protect the rights of PWDs, ensure access and prevent all forms of discrimination.
“We wish to call on various government actors to respect the UN Convention which is outlined in the training guide and PWDs to work in collaboration with the government so that the inclusion of PWDs should be better,” the Executive President of the National Platform of Organisations for the Promotion of Persons with Disabilities in Cameroon said.
The project was officially launched in Yaoundé on July 20, 2022 during the first steering committee led by UNESCO and the Ministry of Social Affairs (MINAS) with the participation of several stakeholders including representatives of disabled people’s organisations.
Kathy Neba Sina
