22 November 2019

Jack Maki is a man of 46 years old of age living in Luganville from Paama. He is a very active person. We can see him in Luganville easily because he goes out to walk around the town so as to talk with his friends every day.Sometimes he joins to some sports, such as sitting volleyball, shot-putting, and so on.He is one of the active members of the para-athletes team in Luganville and the chairman of new DPO (Disabled Peoples Organization) the Santo Pepsi Disability Association which was established with a vision to advocate through theatre. Their purpose is increasing awareness on human rights. He is the only son in his family and born without a disability.He got disability 17th September in 2015, due to diabetes, his leg was imputed and uses crutches to assist him to move around.His wife finds a job to support them but it still was not enough so Jack is trying is best to find a job also. When he walks around Luganville town, there are many people who don’t call him his name.They call him “Jack Handicap” or “Jack Broke Leg”. These words make him feel so terrible.But he always tells them resolutely that never call him by names, he also tells them “It’s a challenge that God gave me. But if you call me names, God will give you a challenge like me.” He says there are many discriminations in Luganville town. And it’s a barrier.For example, the government cashier is located on the 2nd floor of VNPF and it is hard for him to access and be able to pay his bills. There are no ramp nor is elevator. So even if there are women with pram, elderly people, wheelchair users, they too will not be able to access these services. That’s so hard for them. Now, Sale kava every evening at his place and he is planning to upgrade his Kava Bar with income he is been winning in the evenings.Today, there are plenty of kava bars in Luganville. He said that his business will be success. But now he still got some problems. He really needs assistant to help him find a job to make payment for assistant and some bills and taxes.He is insisting the fact that every people with disability have same right as people without disability.So, every public institution must be accessible for every people with disability and include them inside their community. He said, “Peoples with disability living in Luganville are shame to go out from their house. We must make possible for them to access to town in order to include them. Vanuatu skills partnership have few programs that supports people with disabilities and inclusion. We can do it. We can talk. But usually we need assistant.But my friends with disability are confined to bed are worried that there is no way to feel free, also, they lost hope. They say that they don’t have the rights same as people without disability because they can’t walk around anymore.” That’s wrong. Every people with disability definitely have the rights same as everyone else.So, we must encourage them and keep advocating for the rights of people with disability like me, Jack.

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22 November 2019

Courtney Vuti is a young woman in Luganville. She is 23 years old.She was born with a disability. She is a member of little people. But she can do anything same as people without disability. She can play volleyball and netball very well even though she has a disability. Her short height is no longer disability, it’s her individuality. She is working as an assistant officer for VDPA. Before joining VDPA, she stayed at home and does housework and been supporting her mum at the Chinese shops where her mother works at.She has been learning how to use Microsoft word and excel in VDPA. And now, she can provide documents such as media release, official letter, budget sheet, and so on.We first met her, she didn’t have confidence and she was very shy. But she had opened up bit by bit and built a good relationship with us. And now, she’s got confidence and enjoys her job. She grew up in a great family. Her parents took good care of her same as other siblings and they are always kind to her. Also, they never maltreated her. So, she said “I’m happy that I got such a great family in my life.” However, when she was a student, she faced a lot of challenges. Students insulted her and said nasty things that brought shame on her. Every day in school it was like living in hell for her.When she walked in the town, some people said to her such things that hurts her felling and stares at her.With all these attitudinal barriers, she didn’t only want to go to school but also didn’t want to go out.But her parents encourages her a lot. After that, she didn’t care anymore if someone insulted her. She said, “If someone say nasty things to me, I don’t worry about what they are saying. I just don’t care. Because, I know that I have the same human right as people without disabilities. However, other people with disability are isolating themselves from others while others stayed only in their houses. They don’t want to go out because people stare at them and says awful things to them. So, I wish to encourage everyone that if you see someone with a disability, please talk to them with respect in order for them to feel that they are part of the community and can move around freely and enjoy their rights as anyone else.”

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07 October 2019

On 4th of October 2019, The National Coordinator (Nelly Caleb) of the Vanuatu Disability Promotion & Advocacy Association (VDPA) attended the official ceremony of the ground breaking of the New Government Finance Building. When assessing the construction plan, I was so shocked when I saw the construction plan was inaccessible for people with mobility impairments said Ms. Caleb. She continues to stress that people with disabilities, elderly, pregnant mothers and mothers with pram faced a lot of barriers to access these public building in the two main towns. The convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, which the government has ratified in 2008, and it means the government agreed to protect and promote the rights of people with disabilities and in article 9. People with disability have the right to live independently and take part in all aspects of life. To let them do that, countries need to take appropriate steps to give people with disability access, in the same way other people have access, to things, places, transport, information and services that are open to the public. This applies in the cities as well as in rural areas. The National people’s plan mentioned to leave no one behind, and Accessibility is part of the Pre- condition to Inclusion. However, VDPA wish to thank the Director General for giving some green light to ensure the New Finance building is accessible to people with disabilities. VDPA urged other Government Ministries and other sectors to ensure new infrastructures are disability friendly so no one is left behind. Nelly Caleb

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11 June 2019

Women with disabilities faced double and most times triple discrimination. Because they are women, they have a disability and the abuses they faced. Women with disabilities are excluded in decision makings at all levels. Most times they are seen as people with other rights. They are carers of a child with a disability, or Carers of elderly. Many barriers they faced does not allow them to enjoy their rights and freedoms as anyone else. For instance, VDPA in partnership with CBM New Zealand carried out a needs assessment, after the Mass evacuation from Ambae island due to heavy volcanic Ash fall out. the report showed that:•Evacuees with disabilities were instructed to leave their wheelchairs behind.•Women with disabilities are discriminated in evacuation centers because the centers are inaccessible and there is no privacy in the bathroom facilities.•Deaf women are the ones who are most marginalized especially, communicating and accessing information. VDPA compiled a standalone CEDAW report on Women and girls with disabilities to the UN CEDAW committee in 2016, we also participated at the 63rd CEDAW session, to ensure women with disabilities are also represented at the platform.The Vanuatu National Disability Inclusive Development plan 2018-2025 mentioned women with disabilities as one of the 8 priorities in the plan.The National Gender equality plan is partly inclusive of women and girls with disabilities.Inclusion and mainstreaming of women with disabilities at the national level. •8 women with disabilities attended the National women’s forum last year.•Women with disabilities committee members are active members of the Vanuatu Civil Society Influencing network.•Women with disabilities is a sub-group under the Vanuatu Civil Society disability network.•VDPA is also an active member of the Vanuatu Civil Society Influencing network.•Women with disabilities actively participated at the National Disability Influencing forum last year. But there is more to be done, because women and girls with disabilities in the rural and remote areas needs to be included as well in all development efforts.However,　VDPA partnered with two other organizations to write the Alternative report on the UNCRPD in 2017 and submitted the report last year.DRF gave a special award to fund 7 people with disabilities to attend the UN CRPD session this year in Geneva. Four women with disabilities and three men with disabilities attended the interactive dialogue between the CRPD committee and our government. VDPA acknowledged and thanked DRF for this support.In April, VDPA organized a national Press conference in our capital town, we launched the UN recommendations urged government to do more and more on the implementation of the UN CRDP recommendations. Over 50 people attended this press conference.However, Reports that a produced are our powerful advocacy and monitoring tools. Recommendations:1. Working in partnerships to ensure that more women with disabilities participate in regional and international meeting /trainings/workshops2.Leave no one behind is applied at all levels, needs to be more practical Nelly Caleb

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