A national campaign aimed at changing how society sees and responds to persons with disabilities, putting inclusion, equity and acceptance at the centre of a broader public education drive has been launched.
The “See Ability is Not Disability” campaign rolled out on Monday by the Department of Home Affairs and will use the real-life experiences and achievements of four Saint Lucians to challenge stereotypes surrounding disability.
At the heart of the campaign are four Disability Ambassadors representing different sections of the disability community: Christy Joseph, representing the blind community; Kevin Jn Baptiste, representing persons with mobility disabilities; Dr. Delia Samuel, representing autism; and Vanessa Louis, representing the Deaf community.
Rather than defining the ambassadors by their disabilities, the campaign will highlight their abilities, achievements and contributions, while encouraging the public to reconsider attitudes and barriers that can prevent persons with disabilities from participating fully in society.
The ambassadors will be featured across a series of campaign installations, including billboards in Castries, Micoud and Choiseul, while a fourth installation will take the form of a bus wrap, taking the campaign message into communities across the island.
Their stories will also be explored through a mini-documentary series showing persons with disabilities living, working, achieving and thriving. The series will be aired through the Government Information Service (GIS) and the Ministry’s Facebook page as part of ongoing public education and sensitization.
Music is also being used to broaden the campaign’s reach, with Joy Melody Stanley composing the official “Disability is Not Inability” campaign jingle.
The campaign forms part of a wider effort by the Department to move disability awareness beyond occasional observances and make inclusion part of everyday national life.
That broader programme includes the development of a National Disability Registry, designed to provide a clearer picture of Saint Lucia’s disability population and help identify needs, gaps in support and available services. The information is expected to assist Government and its partners with programme planning, resource allocation and the development of policies that better reflect the realities of persons with disabilities.
The Department is also introducing a Disability Awareness Exercise Book Initiative, taking sensitization directly into schools. The exercise books will serve both as learning materials and disability-awareness tools, including the American Sign Language alphabet and basic pleasantries to expose children to inclusive communication from an early age.
A QR code incorporated into the books will also allow parents and members of the public to connect with the Department and, where appropriate, provide information to assist in building the National Disability Registry.
The initiatives ultimately share one objective: creating a Saint Lucia where persons with disabilities are not simply acknowledged during awareness activities, but are seen, heard, respected and included every day.
