Disabilities Bill Gets Major Support in House

The House of Representatives met today in regular session and one of the main highlights of the proceedings was the presentation of a Disabilities Bill. The bill seeks to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal privileges, rights, interests, benefits and treatment of persons with disabilities. It calls for the establishment a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and a Disabilities and Equal Opportunities Rights Tribunal. Minister of Human Development, Dolores Balderamos-Garcia presented the proposed piece of legislation.

 

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“Madam Speaker I will try to be brief because we did give some information at the first reading of this bill. And I do sit here, humbly, this afternoon, to continue to urge that we pass this Disabilities Bill today. It will establish the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and it will have In addition to government representation, it will have representatives from the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Social Security Board, the National Trade Union Congress, civil society organizations, and also the ex officio member of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and our C.E.O. of Human Development will chair the commission. We also want to mention at this second reading, Madam Speaker, that the functions of the commission will various. Please allow me, once more, to read it into the record. It will oversee the implementation of the policy to give special attention to persons with disabilities.  It will make recommendations to the government. It will coordinate and monitor the implementation of the said policy. It will monitor our compliance with the United Nations Convention and do monitoring and evaluation on the impact of our policy. It will recommend changes to existing laws, support the development of relevant programs, collect and record important data. promote and foster capacity development, promote and coordinate the employment of persons living with disabilities, produce annual reports. Address grievances. And maintain, importantly, maintain a register of persons living with disabilities.”