Transportation is one of the main challenges faced by persons with disabilities in the country today. This was shared during an event which brought together persons with disabilities to share their challenges and come up with solutions required to support them on Saturday.
Around a hundred taxi operators were also trained on the skills necessary to support persons with disabilities during the event. Disabled Persons’ Association of Bhutan and Ability Bhutan Society with financial support from the United Nations Development Programme conducted the training.
Equality is a core human rights principle and ensuring everyone must have equal participation and engagement is important. From accessible infrastructure to employment opportunities, persons with disabilities present during the event said there still is a need to educate and advocate people on how a society can contribute towards this equality.
“There are a lot of things that need to be done for people with disabilities. What they need first is monetary help and support and secondly, transportation is a huge problem so this also needs to be looked into. A policy on persons with disabilities is already in place so I hope that the policy will only make the lives of those with disabilities easier,” said Tandin Dorji.
“We have important events like blessings and festivals which the country has been organizing and will be organized in the future too. For instance, at Changlimithang or Tendrelthang or in other districts during Tshechus, I feel that there is a need to have a separate place for persons with disabilities, maybe a different path and a place so that we don’t have to rush like others. I think this will give us an opportunity to be part of it which otherwise is missed,” added Jigme Namgyel.
Considering transportation as one of the challenges persons with disabilities face, the training this time included taxi operators.
“To create awareness we have a concept called Disability Equality Training whereby persons with disabilities will be examining their own barriers that they face, challenges that they face and then they are trying to come up with a solution through advocacy and awareness. We have this training especially for Taxi Operators because many of our persons with disabilities have been facing a lot of challenges in terms of transportation services. We are sensitizing the taxi operators on the skills that they would require to support persons with disabilities,” said Sonam Gyamtsho, the Executive Director for Disabled Persons’ Association of Bhutan.
“In the past even if we wished to support people with disabilities, we didn’t know how to go about helping and supporting them the way that actually would make their lives easier. But the workshop we attended today was beneficial as it gave us a new perspective as well as skills required to help them,” added Kezang Jigme, one of the Board of Directors of Taxi Association.
Disability Equality training was started last year to raise awareness and promote inclusivity. The government also launched the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities last year which is expected to look at how each sector can practice inclusion of a person living with disability in every aspect of development.
As of today, there are around 14,000 people with disabilities in the country.
Sonam Pem
