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  • 8 months ago
The appointment of the Alicia Pauline Lalite-Ettienne as an independent senator is lauded as a step toward inclusion by the Persons Associated with Visual Impairment.

President of the Association Candice John says it's a step in the right direction.

More from Nicole M Romany.
Transcript
00:00On Friday, President Christine Kangaloo, in a landmark move, appointed the country's first ever visually impaired independent senator.
00:09Today, Pavi President Candace John tells TV6 the empowerment and recognition of persons who are blind or visually impaired
00:18brings a profound sense of joy and accomplishment to the association and their community.
00:24We have been fighting for this. This should have been normal. This should have been so natural.
00:29But I do want to thank the president of Trinidad and Tobago for accepting and considering the recommendation
00:37because Pavi would have been one of the organizations. We're not sure if other organizations would have done it.
00:43So we would have recommended it. And I'm really happy that she considered it. And it did happen.
00:51It really, really did happen. We are really happy. We are really happy about it.
00:57John adds that while policies exist in principle, there is a critical absence of codified legislation
01:04to safeguard the rights and welfare of the visually impaired.
01:09This gap, the association insists, must be urgently addressed.
01:14One of the main things that we have been working on for many, many years is the Trinidad and Tobago bill
01:19for persons with disabilities. Trinidad and Tobago has signed and ratified the United Convention of Rights
01:27for Persons with Disabilities. And we, for years, we have had policies, but we have not had a bill.
01:34We haven't had law that protects us or legislation that shows what our rights are.
01:40The Pavi president is calling for a radical shift, urging greater inclusion of differently abled persons
01:48in all corners of society. She is hoping the newly appointed senator will champion this cause.
01:55Greater access to housing. Prior, the government had a scholarship for persons with disabilities.
02:03We saw that for many years it wasn't available and then of recently that would have come back.
02:09And I hope that there will be continuity of that and she will be able to advocate to bring up those things.
02:16Because persons with visual impairment and disabilities at large, we do want to go out there
02:21and continue our education. At so far, I was able to go up to the level of master's.
02:30She notes that there are differently abled persons working as producers, media personnel
02:36and even in the Ministry of Education. Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
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