"Having a Disability in a Disabled World - The Millstone of Myths Attached Stigmas, Prejudice and Marginalization was the theme of Ms. Fitz-Henley's programme, staged at the Sandy Bay Seventh Day Adventist Church on Saturday April 13-2013.
Miss Fitz-Henley- is the recipient of the first David Annekie Prothesis Grant facilitated by The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation last year 2012.
I spoke on:
•The millstone of myths, stigmas, prejudice and marginalization, which covered the millstone of our disabled world in Jamaica
• Resistance of persons/society to adjust, hinders the disabled in attaining their optimum potential and are thus further disabling
Arranged by the great Falasha Fitz-Henley speakers were Falasha Kajamba Fitz-Henley and Senator Floyd Morris and Maia Chung,
Falasha's programme was under the theme "Having a Disability in a Disabled World - The Millstone of Myths Attached Stigmas, Prejudice and Marginalization.
Other components highlighted by Falasha were:
• DISABLED NOT UNABLED
• CHALLENGED NOT CONQUERED
Photo: Falasha Fit-Henley Car Collision survivor rendered disabled by the accident, addressing the gathering at the Sandy park SDA Church in Kingston Jamaica, on April 13-2013.
The congregation gathered with us from four p.m. this afternoon until about 8 and the experience was wonderful (Saturday April 13-2013).
Highaziya of Guide and Protect fame called me on my way home and asked me how me so happy, well when I get to lend my voice to breaking down the stereotypes that affect the disabled I LOOOOVE IT.
Ironically it’s the perfect springboard for me to really enjoy HOTTABALL's event later tonight... yes same day (Saturday April 13-2013) - my life has purpose! And many events lol
I spoke using the executive summary of the 2011 World Report on Disability a collaborative between the World Health Organization and the World Bank.
In my address I cited from the report where Stephen Hawking disabled astrophysicist says "...we have a moral duty to remove barriers to participation, and to invest sufficient funding and expertise to unlock the vast potential of people with disabilities. Governments throughout the world can no longer overlook the hundreds of millions of people with disabilities who are denied access to health, rehabilitation, support, education and employment and never get the chance to shine."
I also shared from page 11 - titled "Lower Educational Achievements" which says “children with disabilities are less likely to start school than their peers without disabilities, and have rates of staying and being promoted in schools. Education completion gaps are found across all age groups in both low-income and high in-come countries, with the pattern more pronounced in poorer countries".
Meanwhile " there is lower economic participation people with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed and generally earn less even when employed. Global data from the World Health Survey show that employment rates are lower for disabled men 53 percent and disabled women 20 percent than for their non dis-abled counterparts.
Photos: From top: Falasha Fitz-Henley doing a power point presentation on a variety of disabilities.
Second Photo: Government Senator Floyd Morris - who is himself visually impaired
Third Photo: A member of the Sandy Bay SDA Church Ministering in song to the gathering in between presentations.
