Inclusion for Differently Abled People
Observing 2021 International Day for Persons with Disabilities: Sunrise Adult Training Centre Encourages Cayman Community to Actively Promote Inclusion
The theme for the 2021 International Day for Persons with Disabilities (Friday 3 December, 2021) is “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.”
For the past two years the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic indeed have presented challenges for each and every one of us. One in every seven people in the world lives with a disability; for them, the setbacks resulting from the economic and social disruption caused by Covid-19 have been more acute and prolonged.
As noted in a statement by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, “COVID-19 has laid bare the persistent barriers and inequalities faced by the world’s 1 billion persons with disabilities, who have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic. A disability-inclusive pandemic response and recovery should be guided by persons with disabilities themselves, forge partnerships, tackle injustice and discrimination, expand access to technology and strengthen institutions to create a more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable post COVID-19 world.”
Kim Voaden, Director of the Sunrise Adult Training Centre, endorsed this year’s theme and stated:
In the Cayman Islands and elsewhere, disability can be both a cause and consequence of poverty. We must actively work to eradicate this cycle of poverty – and with regard to those who people who are differently abled, this begins with an inclusive mindset.
The International Day for Persons with Disabilities is an occasion to call attention to how we in the Cayman Islands can remove barriers, of both a physical and non-physical nature, to create inclusion throughout the community.
Even with the challenges presented by Covid-19 suppression and mitigation in the day to day operations of Sunrise Adult Training Centre, the global pandemic has elevated the importance and role the Centre plays in the Cayman Islands.
Sunrise was founded in 1986 and November 2021 marks its 35th year in continuous operation. The Centre provides a supportive and nurturing environment for adults with special needs and disabilities. Today it works to help its more than 60 clients to fulfill their potential – through empowerment, employment, independence and inclusion.
Since May 2021, the Ministry of Investment, Innovation and Social Development has been working with the Centre actively to augment its resources in order to accommodate and serve more clients in the short term and longer term. Voaden said, “We look forward to working with our community in fulfilling our vision for a new, purpose-built facility that will serve all adults with different and special needs.”
The Hon. Minister André Ebanks echoed Ms. Voaden’s sentiments, saying “Meaningful change is on the way for Sunrise Adult Training Centre. I am delighted and honored to be part of a transformation that will enable its clients both to be better served and more connected within our community.”
Mr. Quatro Hatch, whose daughter is a client of Sunrise ATC, said he has “nothing but compliments” for the Centre’s staff. “Raising a child with any kind of disability is challenging for any family, and even more so for those families with modest means. I truly commend the staff of Sunrise Adult Training Centre for the positive role they play in their clients’ lives – and for the hugely positive impact this has on the clients’ families,” he said.
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On the occasion of International Day for Persons with Disabilities, Sunrise offers the following advice and guidance from its perspective, and that of its clients, regarding people who are differently abled.
INCLUSION: MINDSET IS EVERYTHING
- Don’t assume what is or isn’t possible. Disabilities affect all different types of people. What’s true for one person may not be true for another. If you’re not sure, ASK.
- Equal opportunity goes beyond hiring – make sure that people with disabilities are equitably promoted and given opportunities for growth.
- Use Sunrise as a resource! We can help to identify and respond to local access barriers. Involve us at all levels – “nothing for us without us”.
- Always treat us as equals.
- Be cautious of automatically describing us as “inspirational” or “admirable” just because we have a disability. Be careful not to assume that disability is so terrible that the mere act of living life with a disability is inspirational – since this turns another human into a simplified foil or object of pity, and thus denies the complex humanity of the individual. Strength, courage, perseverance, etc. come from individuals themselves, and are multi-causal/ multi-factorial.
- Do not touch or move our wheelchair/ crutches/ walker/ cane/ scooter/ communication device without asking permission. These items are an extension of us, and are very much a part of our “person”.
- Use “person-first” language. E.g. person who uses a wheelchair is much preferred to saying “wheelchair user” or “handicapped”.
- Asking questions is ok, as long as you do so respectfully and authentically. Staring, pointing, or “talking about” us (especially in our presence) is not ok.
- Be patient. Give us the time we need to understand you and to respond. It’s okay to ask us to repeat or try again, if you don’t understand us. Don’t try to guess or finish our thoughts for us. Get down to our eye level to communicate, if we are in a wheelchair. Speak to us (not our parents/companions/caregivers).
References:
United Nations International Day for Persons with Disabilities:
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, 3 December 2021:
