Advocacy for people with disabilities challenging

ADVOCACY for people living with disabilities is a challenge, says Hepamo Central Disabled Persons Organisation deputy chairperson Mary Ikupu.
Ikupu shared her experience of living with disability during an International Disability Day event at the Department of Community Development, Youth and Religion last week. It is an annual event that falls on Dec 3 to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and wellbeing of persons living with disabilities.
“It is a challenge for persons with disabilities to understand their own situations to help other people understand theirs,” Ikupu said.
“It is also a sympathetic situation when we realise ourselves that there is no empowerment.”
She thanked the Government and Papua New Guinea Assembly of Disable Persons for taking up the role of advocacy.
Community Development Programme Implementation Division deputy secretary Jeane Sliviak said the programmes they conducted would have failed if it was not for the help of people living with disabilities.
She thanked the Government for funding the 2018 disability programmes, especially the Disability Authority Bill 2018.
“For the first time, there will be a legal framework to govern the rights of persons with disability. We never had a legislation specific to disability.”