Council Disability Focal Persons Empowered to Foster Disability Inclusive Development
Some 38 disability focal persons from 31 Councils across the North West Region and 5 staff of the North West Regional branch of the United Cities and Councils of Cameroon (UCCC) have increased their knowledge on disability inclusive development. This was during a workshop that took place from June 21-22, 2023 at Baptist Center, Nkwen Bamenda organized by the CBC Health Services P10228 project in collaboration with the North West Regional branch of UCCC.
The workshop is a fall out of the partnership between the North West Regional branch of the United Cities and Councils of Cameroon (UCCC) and the CBC Health Services signed in October 2022 to foster disability inclusion in Councils in the North West Region. The workshop aimed at strengthening the capacity of Council Disability Focal Persons to lead in mainstreaming gender and disability in policy and practice within their Municipalities.
Welcoming participants to the workshop, Mr. Wango Barnabas, Assistant Administrator at CBC Health Services Central Administration representing the Director of Health Services (DHS), said they are game changers when it comes to disability inclusion in their communities. Mr. Wango called on the participants to make good use of the Workshop in order to do more.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Chiatoh Collins, representative of the President of the North West Regional branch of UCCC, noted that the partnership between the CBC Health Services and UCCC North West Regional Office has been a very fruitful one which motivates them to continue partnering with the CBC Health Services. Besides capacity development, he explained that the CBC Health Services has provided free ear and hearing screening for Mayors during the 2023 World Hearing Day, an initiative that was greatly celebrated by the UCCC.
During the workshop, participants received knowledge on disability inclusive development concepts, the Legal Framework Underpinning Inclusive Development, Leadership and Inclusive Communication, Gender and safeguarding among others.
They identified barriers that limit persons with disabilities from being fully included in Council actions including limited resources/funds, inaccessible information and structures, lack of will and interest in disability inclusion by some Council stakeholders and lack of disability disaggregated data to inform disability specific actions. They suggested as ways forward, the modification of structures to enable access for persons with disabilities, studies to establish disability disaggregated data, awareness raising on disability inclusion and safeguarding, advocacy for tax exonerations for persons with disabilities, use of alternative communication methods, and facilitation of acquisition of identification documents for persons with disabilities among others.
At the end of the workshop, participants appreciated the CBC Health Services and the UCCC for organizing the workshop noting that it was a big learning opportunity for them. They promised to go back and use knowledge gained to push for disability inclusion in their municipalities.
The Comprehensive Program for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and Inclusive Access to Basic Services of Health and Education in the Northwest Region of Cameroon (P10228) is funded by Christian Blind Mission and implemented by the CBC Health Services.