Civil Servants, six per cent of whom self-identify as persons with a disability in a recent survey, marked International Day for Persons with Disabilities with a photo opportunity outside the Government Administration Building on Monday, 4 December.

The observance whose 2017 theme was “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all”, was also attended by members of the National Disability Council and Lighthouse School representatives.

The Health Services Authority also encouraged its staff to wear yellow to mark the day of observance.

Part of Cayman Islands Disabilities Week, the community is asked to support greater inclusion of persons with disabilities by attending Sunrise Adult Training Centre’s annual Christmas Concert: “12 Symbols of Christmas”. The free event, produced and performed by clients and staff, is being held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 7 December at John Gray Memorial Church Hall, West Bay.

“As one of the islands’ leading employers and service providers, the civil service takes its responsibility as a disability champion seriously,” said the Deputy Governor and Head of the Civil Service Hon. Franz Manderson. “We are delighted to support this week of events to highlight disability locally”.

“The Disability Council is delighted to see more individuals from the community take time to observe International Disabilities Day,” said the Council’s Deputy Chairperson Faith Gealey.  “Our council is tasked with help to facilitate the integration of people with disabilities into every facet of our community. We truly feel that increased public awareness of disabilities will lead to greater empathy of the difficulties individuals with disabilities face and eventually, will lead to increased opportunity for full inclusion within our community.”

During Disability Week members of the newly-appointed National Disabilities Council will discuss disability issues and highlight the work/mandate of the Council on local radio. This will include a session with the Council’s patron Keith Tibbetts on Rooster 101.9 on Wednesday, 6 December. The Council’s chairperson Magda Embury and council Deputy Chairperson/civil servant Faith Gealey will be on Radio Cayman’s Talk Today (Wednesday, 6 December 2017) from 1-2 p.m.

The 15-person council, consisting of members of the public with an understanding of disability issues, and six civil servants, was set up earlier this year under the Disabilities (Solomon Webster) Law, 2016. The council is mandated to advocate for the disability issues and promote increased involvement by persons with disabilities in all aspects of the islands’ economic, political and cultural life.

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Caption and photo by Elphina Jones, GIS
IntDisDay3: Civil servants, members of the National Council Disability Council and members of the Lighthouse School mark International Day for Persons with Disabilities and Disability Week by wearing yellow.