The following article is by Julie Lewis, herself disabled, on the Disability Rights Act which was passed by Parliament last year and signed into law by President Jagdeo in November.

The passage into law of the Disability Rights bill augurs well for persons living with disabilities for several reasons. Foremost among these is that disabled people in Guyana can now truly say that they have a voice and can insist on having their rights respected. What are some of these rights? An important one is the right to education and training. Many children and adults living with a disability are currently being denied the right to an education, not because the system necessarily denied them that opportunity, but because of the many physical and information barriers that exist. It is virtually impossible for someone in a wheelchair to independently climb stairs to attend classes on the upper levels of buildings. Likewise, …..