By
Bakah Derick
Blogger@hilltopvoices
Persons with disabilities are challenged by
either economic, social, physical or attitudinal aspects of life which negatively
affect their access to, education, adequate health care, quality jobs and
social participation.
Following
government’s resolve to use Councils as key argents of decentralisation and
eventually key actors in the development process, thinking of an inclusive development society
without the council will certainly be a mistake.
It
is within this frame of mind that the Socio Economic Empowerment of Persons
with Disabilities SEEPD; a disability development programme of the Cameroon
Baptist Convention CBC Health Board has initiated a partnership with councils
of the Northwest Region of Cameroon to push for the inclusion of persons with
disabilities in the development process of various Council areas.
During
the opening of a Two-Day workshop in Bamenda this Tuesday August 11, 2015,
SEEPD officials stated that “it is only through such inclusion that Councils
will be said to have met the development needs of all their community members.”
“We
are very pleased to be here. Following issues generated during the opening by
officials of the CBC Health Board, I think it will be a good workshop…… when I learned
that it was a workshop for persons with disabilities and decided to attend
because I have many people in my municipality who are disabled in one way or
another” Fongu Cletus Tanwie Mayor, Bamenda III Sub-divisional Council said.
SEEPD
officials also noted that “Persons with disabilities for their part will be
empowered educationally, economically, socially, and thereby live dependent
lives and also to be able to make significant contributions in the development
of their communities and by implication the nation and world at large.”
For
Two days, the workshop will handle issues such as; disability facts and statistics,
and their relevance in inclusive planning, disability inclusive development,
making education inclusive, and opportunities within the decentralization process
for inclusive development amongst others.
Disability
estimates from around the world suggest that in 2011 about 15% of the world’s
population equivalent to over one billion people live with some form of
disability. “This means that without mainstreaming persons with disabilities
and their contribution to all life and development aspects, it is unlikely that
any major development goals can be achieved.” SEEPD officials say.