Government Information Service

by Emmanuel H. Joseph
Government Information Service

The Government of Japan has provided grant funds of over US$80,900.00 to the Dominica Association of Disabled Persons to facilitate training in Information Communications and Technology (ICT). On Thursday 26th March, 2009 the signing for the contract was held at the Association’s Office in Goodwill.

The funds were approved under a project entitled Information Technology Training for Persons with Disabilities. It is primarily geared at assisting persons with disabilities to become computer literate.

According to the Executive Director, Nathalie Murphy, the training will enable its members to more employable.

“We are going to purchase fifteen (15) desktop computers, a coloured printer and photocopier, a projector, camcorder and other software and accessories. This is because it is going to be a comprehensive project where we are going to teach persons with disabilities how to become computer literate, how to use the camcorder. This project aims to provide the necessary skills to our target group so that hopefully, one day, they will attain employment, whether it is through self employment or employment on the open labour market. The idea is to enable persons with disabilities to become economically independent and so we are providing them with the opportunity through the conduction of this ICT programme.”

Mrs. Murphy went on to explain that this was not the first time that the Association has received assistance from the Japanese.

“In 2005, the then UNESCO Secretary General visited us. He was a Japanese National and discussed with us our 2005-2009 Sustainable Development Programme. After he left, he left us with an assurance that he was going to support one of the projects that we had in this programme. Soon thereafter, we developed a project proposal, a Braille Literacy Project Proposal and they funded that project to the tune of over fifty thousand United States dollars (USD$50,000.00). The Braille Literacy Programme was conducted in 2007 and we still have with us equipment that was purchased as part of this project, the Braille embosser, which we continue to use to prepare Braille material for our blind and visually impaired members. That way, they are able to keep in touch with developments within the Association through the reading of the documents in Braille.”

His Excellency Tatsuaki Iwata, Japan’s Ambassador to the Commonwealth Dominica, stated that his Government is delighted to be of support to the Dominica Association of Disabled People as his Government places significant emphasis on such kind of projects.

“In the present world, everyone has to work very hard, but sometimes, there are vulnerable people and we have to support these people. Otherwise, peace and prosperity of society cannot be maintained. In that respect, this is a typical activity the people of Japan will be delighted to work with you on and I hope that the activities of this organisation will be successful in the future.”