Legacy of Disability Inclusion – Leave No One Behind

Jul 17, 2017 | News | 0

The Vanuatu Civil Society Disability Network (VCSDN) has pledged to support Van2017 in creating an inclusive and accessible 2017 Pacific Mini Games.

A joint assessment to provide recommendations to the Van2017 organising committee to increase accessibility for people with disability was conducted at the Pacific Mini Games venues, on Thursday 7th July, 2017.

These recommendations will encourage Van2017 and the Government of Vanuatu to look at building a legacy of inclusion and accessibility.

The Vanuatu Civil Society Disability Network, coordinated by Oxfam in Vanuatu, were joined by Knox Morris from the Disability Desk at the Ministry of Justice, Margaret Macfarlane, President of the Vanuatu Paralympic Committee and Jessica Richardson, Disability Inclusion Officer at the Vanuatu Association of Sport and National Olympic Committee (VASANOC) to conduct the assessment.

The members of the network were shown around the games venues at Korman, the Convention Centre and Freshwota Primary School.

The VCSDN is made up of members from the Vanuatu Society for People with Disability (VSPD), Wan Smol Bag Rainbow Theatre, Disability Promotion Advocacy Association members from various provinces across Vanuatu and the Disabled Peoples Organisation from Freshwota, Erakor and Melemaat.

The VCSDN facilitates collaboration and joint action between its members to advocate effectively to decision makers and contribute to greater positive change for people with disabilities.

Members with various impairments, including physical, mental, intellectual and sensory impairments, are included in the network.

It was a great opportunity for members to not only provide recommendations, but to increase awareness of the rights of people with disability when navigating sporting venues and function centres, especially for the venue contractors and the organising committee.

The athlete villages for the Games will be utilising six local schools across Port Vila, which currently do not meet all accessibility requirements.

VCSDN will work with Van2017 to increase accessibility at these schools to not only ensure para athletes will be able to access the villages with dignity, but also for ongoing accessibility following the Games at the schools. This is a great legacy for the games to leave behind to allow all future generations of people with disability, including future para champions, to have better access to education.

“It was a great opportunity to advocate for universal access at all the Van2017 venues. It is important that people with disability are included right through the planning and development stages of new sites in Vanuatu and we thank Van2017 for valuing the input of people with disability at this stage in development of the venues for the games,” said Jessica Richardson. READ MORE

SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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