This week we celebrated International Persons with Disabilities Day and the theme The Future is Accessible by supporting partners in the delivery of the the I Am Able II conference in Antigua and Barbuda.

The conference had delegation from Saint Lucia, Saint Vincents and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Jamaica, Dominica, Grenada and Barbados.

The Commonwealth Children & Youth Disability Network (CCYDN), Include Me TOO (IM2) and Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) worked together preparing and finalising youth workshop and participation.

Parmi Dheensa, Executive Director of Include Me TOO & Co Chair of CCYDN and Sarah Musau CCYDN Executive Committee Member, met with the Minister and the Permanent Secretary of Social Policy Development, Human Resources Development, Youth and Gender Affairs, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to plan the delivery of a Children & Youth programme 2020 to increase disability awareness, Inclusion & Rights and a call to youth led action.

During the conference, the young people from across Eastern Caribbean region and DPO’s expressed a lot of interest in working with CCYDN.

Parmi delivered a  session covering safeguarding, ending all forms of abuse and harmful practices workshop. Highlighting it is vital to increase awareness of the signs of abuse, put in place processes and protocols to safeguarding and child & vulnerable adults protection with policies and legislation underpinning this.

Access to support, resources, opportunities, Inclusion in all areas of life is essential and the future should and needs to be accessible for all.