Disability Manifesto 2025-2030

GYUANA COUNCIL OF ORGANISATIONS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

DISABILTIY MANIFESTO 2025

Disability Manifesto for Implementation to Continue the Fulfillment of The Rights Of Persons with Disabilities in Guyana

2025-2030

This manifesto has been developed by the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) in consultation with over twenty (20) Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), experts in the field of disability and by the wider community of persons with disabilities in Guyana.  The implementation of the manifesto by the 2025-2030 Government should be implemented in close partnership with the OPDs and wider disability community who possess the experience and expertise for successful implementation.

 

EDUCATION

• The Ministry of Education should implement an updated and relevant Special Education Needs (SEN) policy by the end of 2027 to ensure that children with disabilities continue to have an equal opportunity to acquire a meaningful education. The following should be some of the components of the policy:

1. Develop and implement regional SEN policies to guide each Education Department in the delivery of SEN in each of the 10 Administrative Regions.
2. . Procurement and deployment of assistive technology to enhance pedagogical practices and to support the learning process.
3. . Increase the integration of children with disabilities in mainstream schools.
4. . Provide peripheral support (deaf culture facilitators, blind culture facilitators, teacher aids, etc.) to support students with disabilities in the classroom.
5. . Provide a clear pathway for upward mobility within the education sector for teachers who are employed in SEN schools and resource units

• The Government should provide accessible transportation for students with disabilities to attend schools.
• Early Identification and Diagnosis
• The Government, through the Ministry of Education, should establish resource rooms for children with disabilities in all mainstream schools where there are at least 3 children with disabilities who are integrated.

 

 EARLY IDENTIFICATION, INTERVENTION AND TREATMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

• The Government should develop and implement a policy to facilitate early identification, intervention and treatment of persons with disabilities using a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach with framework for collaboration to facilitate lifelong intervention and treatment.

 

EMPLOYMENT

• The Government should develop and implement a policy that will afford at least five percent (5%) of all public sector jobs to qualified and skilled persons with disabilities within all Government Ministries, Agencies and other public sector organisations with a Staff of over twenty (20) persons.
• The Government should provide subsidies and other incentives to the private sector to encourage the employment of persons with disabilities within their organisations;
• The Government should construct additional business centers for persons with disabilities in Regions 2, 3, 4 and 10 to provide employment for persons with disabilities.

 

FINANCIAL RELIEF AND INDEPENDENCE

• The Government should increase the monthly permanent disability grant to at least half of the public sector minimum wage with yearly increases. Additionally, the Government should develop a policy to guide the disbursement of the grant separate from the public assistance grant.
• The government should increase the maximum ceiling to $1,000,000 for interest free loans offered to persons with disabilities through the Small Business Bureau for the establishment or growth of small business.
• The Government should continue to disburse grants to small business owners with disabilities.
• The Government should develop and implement a policy that will allocate small Government of Guyana (GOG) contracts to businesses owned and operated by persons with disabilities.
• The Government through the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) should remove individual income and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes from persons with disabilities earning below two million four hundred thousand dollars ($2,400,000) per year.
• The Government should provide a yearly subvention to legally registered Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to aid their work within the disability community to build the capacity of persons with disabilities to enable them to access GOG opportunities and services.
• The Government should provide electricity and water subsidies to registered persons with disabilities over the age of 18 and under the age of 65 years old, like the subsidies provided to pensioners.

 

ACCESSIBILITY

• The Government through the respective GOG agencies should modify existing building codes in compliance with International Standards and the Guyana Disability Act (2010) with strict enforcement to ensure that all buildings that are for public access are fully accessible to all persons with disabilities regardless of disability type.
• The government should ensure that materials published and broadcasted for public consumption must be accessible to all categories of persons with disabilities, including but are not limited to sign language, audio, Braille.
• The Government should develop a policy in compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure that all websites, Apps and other digital content are accessible to persons with disabilities.
• The Government should implement an accessible transportation system for persons with disabilities to facilitate their movement to places of work, education, health care or general movement.

 

INDEPENDENT LIVING

• The Government should continue to make available durable mobility and other assistive aids including electronic assistive aids at no cost to persons with disabilities, ensuring their full independence.
• The Government should provide rehabilitation counselling to persons with disabilities and their relatives to support the adaptation of living with a disability.

HOUSING

• The Government should ensure that adequate measures are in place to provide alternative housing to persons with disabilities who have no place of residence, in compliance with the Guyana Disability Act. This can include but are not limited to independent living facilities, apartment complexes etc.
• The Government, through the Ministry of Housing and the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) should make available house lots at no cost to persons with disabilities with an income of less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per month and to continue prioritizing the housing applications of persons with disabilities.  Additionally, Grants and other housing subsidies should be provided to low-income persons with disabilities to assist in the construction and or renovations of their houses;

 

SPORTS AND RECREATION

• The Government through the relevant ministries and agencies should develop and implement programmes to facilitate the participation of persons with disabilities in sports and recreational activities. This should be done through targeted training, provision of adequate resources to disability sports organisations etc.;

 

LEGISLATION

• The Guyana Disability Act (2010) should be reviewed and amended to reflect the current disability landscape and to ensure that there are strict clauses for timely implementation free of ambiguity.
• All relevant legislation governing National, Regional and Local Government elections should be reviewed and amended to remove discriminatory clauses to ensure that persons with disabilities can participate in the electoral process independently.

 

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

• The Government should ensure that any disaster preparedness and response policy and plans are inclusive and accommodates the needs of persons with disabilities.

 

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