Tomorrow (December 3) is the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Nearly 1 million Papua New Guineans are living with some form of disability; each of whom will face barriers that prevent their equal participation in society.
PNG and Australia are working together to support disability partner organisations and the people they support.
The focus of Papua New Guinea’s revised National Disability Policy 2015-2025 closely matches this year’s International Disability Day theme: ‘Inclusion matters: Access and Empowerment of People of All Abilities’.
Under its ‘Disability Inclusive Development’ initiative, Australia funds advocacy, policy work, and service delivery.
The combined effort of the Governments of PNG and Australia, along with the tireless work of disability groups and advocates is changing lives for the better.
Having been trained and up-skilled to do client assessments and provide assistive devices, a Community Based Rehabilitation Volunteer, Mark Natai said, “Mi hamamas lo go aut givim wok or sevis na helpim Pipol wantaim disability, mi hamamas lo dispela wok (I’m so happy to be giving out much needed services to people with disability, I am happy with the job I am doing.)”
Upon receiving his assistive device, 32 year old Benson Lemeain, who is a primary school teacher at the Pompabus Catholic Mission Station, in Enga Province was very pleased. Benson has a mild hearing loss and uses the Behind the ear Hearing Aid (BTE) and says he enjoys his job very much.
“I realised my hearing loss when I started teaching and it was frustrating at times because sometimes the students think I ignore them and sometimes I hear them talking to me,” Benson said.
He said when the team came to the station to assess and deliver the devices, he went for screening and was issued a hearing aid and the change was great.
“I could now hear my students better in class and also at home, it is easier to communicate with my family and friends, I no longer sit quietly but also participate in discussions,” he said.
This was part of the nationwide free provision of assistive devices project. Benson said this project has brought services right to the doorsteps of people really in need and making it free of charge as well.
“The Government must take ownership and fund responsible sectors to make such services available down to the rural and remote areas of the country”, Benson said.
Meanwhile, a key part of the support provided to disability partners has been on increasing their capacity and organisational development for improved governance, to better support the delivery of their programs.
Increased dialogue, has led to a better understanding and greater collaboration amongst disability partners with the broader aim to strengthen the sector so that the National Policy on Disability vision to ‘Remove barriers, and make rights real’ for persons with disability can be realised.
Australian Government support to the disability sector in Papua New Guinea through its Strongim Pipol Strongim Nesen program has seen about PGK 8.4 million disbursed across all provinces of PNG.