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The Disability Promotion & Advocacy Association has been invited to participate in an Australian Government Fellowship to strengthen disability inclusion within Vanuatu’s disaster response and recovery policies and practices.
DPA Communications Officer, Mr Bani Alfred, will represent the organisation.
Over several weeks in September and October, Mr Alfred will travel to Melbourne join representatives from the Vanuatu Society for People with Disability and the National Disaster Management Office in learning how to include people with disability in risk planning, give confidence to people with disability to participate and speak up about their needs, and include mainstream government bodies and community leaders in understanding the importance of disability inclusion.
As Vanuatu still recovers from Tropical Cyclone Pam, now is a critical time to learn from the experiences of people with disability. Too often people with disability did not receive adequate warning, were not included in evacuations, or did not receive adequate support post-disaster.
“I am very pleased to be attending such an important Fellowship which has the potential to positively impact the lives of so many people with Disability in Vanuatu” Mr Alfred said.
“Conservatively it is estimated that 12-15% of Ni-Vanuatu live with disability so it is critical that government, business and the community get this right – it is potentially our family and friends who will be impacted most.”
The DPA will use this Fellowship to further educate and advocate for the rights of people with disability in Vanuatu.
For anyone who wishes to be involved please contact the DPA via our website www.dpavanuatu.org.
