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Youth training promotes the meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities in the Caribbean
To remove barriers and create an inclusive environment based on human rights, UNESCO and the University of the West Indies Centre for Disability Studies (UWICDS) organized a training session on "Understanding and Meaningfully Including Persons with Disabilities in Society" on Thursday, October 7, 2021. The virtual session was specifically tailored to young persons with disabilities and youth-led organizations across 20 Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, counting with more than 60 participants.
In line with the , and the the training addressed the definition of disability, the correct use of language with and about persons with disabilities, as well as what advocacy means in the context of persons with disabilities and how to apply modern advocacy techniques.
The training is part of UNESCO’s broader engagement on social inclusion and the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities in the Caribbean, in follow-up to the , held in Kingston in July 2021. At the conference, Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, stressed the need to work at the societal level to raise awareness and advocate for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in Caribbean societies.
Senator Dr Floyd Morris, Director of the University of the West Indies Centre for Disability Studies (UWICDS) and CARICOM Special Rapporteur on Disability, who conducted the training, asserted that the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities must be respected in society so that they can participate on an equal basis with others.
In breakout group discussions, the young participants were presented with different scenarios of discrimination and exclusion of a person with disabilities in order to apply what they learned while opening a discussion on specific opportunities for developing their own advocacy strategies.
Many negative expressions are commonly used when talking about or relating to persons with disabilities, which affects and discriminates the dignity of persons with disabilities and should not be used under any circumstances. “It is especially important to employ appropriate language and communication when dealing with persons with disabilities," Tonika William said in presenting her group's strategy.
UNESCO dedicated this specific training session to youth and youth-led organizations, as UNESCO considers youth as critical agents of change and full-fledged partners who can positively and actively contribute to social change to create a better world for all. Young people can build on the learnings of this training and become multipliers to foster disability inclusion in their communities across the Caribbean. In this regard, UNESCO is also developing a Manual designed to provide practical knowledge and equip youth and youth-led organizations with tools to develop disability-inclusive actions across the Caribbean.
The youth training is part of a series of training targeting youth, youth-led organizations, and media professionals to promote meaningful change. The in October 2021 aims to sensitize media professionals on how to communicate with persons with disabilities and what advocacy means in the context of persons with disabilities.
Over 1 million persons are living with some form of disability in the Caribbean. Nevertheless, persons with disabilities face discrimination and exclusion. The meaningful inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities are critical to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As the UN lead agency on Social Sciences, UNESCO advocates for evidence-based policy-making to foster social inclusion in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Find out more about what UNESCO is doing to promote the meaningful inclusion for persons with disabilities in the Caribbean
Programme Contact:
Paula Isturiz Cavero,
Programme Specialist for Social and Human Sciences
