The esplanade of the Yaounde City Council last Friday hosted celebrations to mark the 19th edition of the International Handicapped Day. Organised by the Ministry of Social Affairs, the event brought together members of government, the diplomatic corps, authorities of the Centre Region as well as traditional and religious authorities of the region. The theme for this year’s celebration was “Keeping the promise: Mainstreaming disability in the Millennium Development Goals towards 2015 and beyond”.
Throughout the, handicapped persons are often victims of discrimination and marginalisation characterised by their week access to education and professional training appropriate to the demands of the job market. Last Friday’s celebration was therefore an opportunity for handicapped persons in Cameroon to reflect on their problems and find solutions which can improve on their living conditions. In his message on the occasion of the Day, the UN Secretary General, Ban-Ki-Moon said governments need to do more to support people with disabilities. That means implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities during the summit on MGDs in September 2010.
Speaking during the occasion, the Minister of Social Affairs, Catherine Bakang Mbock said the Millennium Development Goals cannot be equally attained if the preoccupations of peoples with disabilities, who constitute about 10 percent of the world population, are not specifically taken into consideration. Catherine Bakang Mbock said the attainment of the MDGs could only be done with the participation of all. She said only a synergy of action can efficiently hasten the process of accessibility of handicapped persons in education, healthcare, infrastructure and employment, a gage for the attainment of MGDs for all and by all in 2015 and beyond. Among the activities was a demonstration on the use of the white stick by handicapped persons. The Minister in the company of members of government handed over attestations to disabled persons trained in computer sciences and industrial dressing. Attestations were also handed over to former pensioners of the National Rehabilitation Centre Cardinal Paul Emile Leger as well as trophies for winners of the different tournaments organised on the occasion of the International Day of People with Disabilities.
