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Inclusion International to Assist Panama to Implement UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability
[Last updated Friday, August 17, 2007]
Panama City, Panama, August 16, 2007
Inclusion International signed a historic agreement today with the government of Panama. Diane Richler, President of Inclusion International, and its Panamanian subsidary, Inclusion International Panama, signed a contract with the Minister of the Presidency, His Excellency Ubaldino Real for the first phase of the project “Living Without Barriers.” The project will fund a series of initiatives to promote full accessibility, community living, and the full exercise of the rights of persons with a disability and their families. Through the project initiatives, Panama is taking concrete steps towards the eradication of poverty for people with disabilities and their families. Specific projects will include making schools and public buildings accessible for all disabled people, purchasing of accessible buses, , construction of rehabilitation centres in rural areas, and crucial direct financial support to individuals and families. Excitingly, also included is support to individuals and families to start their own businesses, including support to form cooperatives. Overall $15 million will be available for the Living Without Barriers projects with $4.5 million for this first phase.
The project reinforces the commitment to people with disabilities shown by Panama when it became the first country to ratify the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability through its legislature. Promoting the rights of persons with a disability has been a priority of the government of President Martin Torrijos and the First Lady, Vivian de Torrijos since the day their government took office and created SENADIS, the Secretariat responsible for disability. Manuel Campos, Director of SENADIS said “Inclusion International is renowned for its expertise in protecting the rights of persons with a disability and for demonstrating practical ways to overcome exclusion”.
This agreement represents a model for Governments and civil society to work together towards the implementation of the Convention. Inclusion International is pleased to be a part of this unique effort as it is an important step in our efforts to address the poverty and exclusion faced by people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
The project will begin immediately and run until July 31, 2009.
For more information contact:
Diane Richler
dianer@inclusion-international.org
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