President Bharrat Jagdeo has pledged to assist with accommodation and to provide a yearly subvention for transportation in order to help the Disabled People’s Network (DPN) meet their mandate.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release the DPN which has a presence in five regions, was established to promote the integration of differently-abled persons, through advocacy programmes such as awareness, skills training and income generating activities.
However, some members are challenged by transportation costs they must bear to attend the events while others lamented the need for better venues. President of the DPN in Region Five Mark Archibald, told GINA that the President promised to assist with accommodation needs and he pledged a yearly subvention for transportation. During the last two years the DPN started to strengthen its role to the extent that it is rapidly becoming a disability movement in Guyana. Archibald met the President at State House to discuss these issues on Thursday.
Supporter Aart Loman, of the Netherlands, who is a Voluntary Service Officer, told GINA that the network is open to every person with a disability. In February the DPN in Region Six embarked on a special computer training programme referred to as ‘Jaws’ which was installed specially for the visually impaired. The course ran for three months in the New Amsterdam Special Needs School and provided opportunities for the students to prepare and print documents using Microsoft Word.
