A DISABILITY forum is being set up to address the lack of facilities and funding in Guernsey. It will draw together representatives from voluntary organisations, State departments and others to find ways of improving services.
Director of public health Dr David Jeffs said the problem with Guernsey was that all the disability organisations were fragmented and did not have a universal voice.
‘It’s extremely valuable for all the different charities and representatives to come together and have their voices heard, because then they will be noticed.’ he said.
‘Unfortunately they could not have picked a worse time. With zero-10, all financial legislation is addressed ahead of anything else.
‘But on the other hand there are things that can be done to better the situation without new laws or more money.’
The idea for the forum came from the States’ corporate anti-poverty programme, which identified that most disabled people lived in poverty and so therefore help should be targeted at them.
Multiple Sclerosis Society Guernsey branch chairman Rob Platts said most islanders had no idea of the difficulties disabled people faced on a daily basis.
‘The problem is that disabled people often don’t get around much and therefore the issue becomes an invisible one,’ he said.
‘I’m excited about the forum because it’s always been individual charities battering the door of States, but now we have a group of people discussing disabilities they are more likely to listen.
‘If we do it properly, it could be one of the greatest advancements for disabled people in Guernsey for decades. But I don’t expect it to happen overnight.’
Guernsey Cheshire Home chairman Stephen Jones said his charity would be delighted to co-operate with the forum.
‘Our residents are very experienced in coping with the lack of facilities that Guernsey had endured and the lack of legislation compared to other jurisdictions. The thought of all those involved with disabled people getting together is very encouraging.’
The forum will be organised by community disability service manager Mariah Gregory-Hayes.
She said it should hopefully ensure legislation is put in place for disabled people in the future.
‘The biggest thing we want to do is raise awareness. It’s not all about funding and money,’ she said,
‘Small changes can make a big difference to the disabled. We are not necessarily looking at massive costs to the island.’
Cheshire Home resident David Purdy, who has been paralysed for 41 years, said facilities for disabled islanders had improved over the years but there was still a long way to go.
‘It’s good that we have the right building regulations in place now, but Guernsey is still very far behind the UK,’ he said.
Former TV journalist Roger Bowns, who has Parkinson’s disease, said there was a lot of work to be done.
‘At last we have contacts in important places to get our message across,’ he said.
‘I think we will move forward very rapidly and I look forward to contributing.’
Article posted on 29th September, 2007 - 12.00am
Loading ...
Most Commented: