Haiti’s Martelly Proposes High-Level Regional Conference on Disability

Above: Haiti President Michel Martelly in Trinidad last week (Photo: OP Haiti)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti President Michel Martelly is proposing a high-level regional conference on policies for disability and people with special needs.

Martelly made the call last week at the CARICOM Heads of State summit in Port of Spain.

According to the National Palace, the proposal was “well received by other Heads of State and Government,” who said they would promise to keep the idea on their agenda as an “important issue for the region.”

The plan is for Haiti to host such a conference by the end of this year, covering issues like access to services, “inclusive education” and adapting physical infrastructure for people with disabilities.

The issue has been something of a priority for Martelly’s administration, which actually includes a Secretary of State post for the integration of persons with disabilities.

That position is filled by longtime advocated for the disabled Gerald Oriol.

The ultimate goal is to hold an annual CARICOM conference on the issue and create a “Caribbean Monitoring Committee” to produce an annual report on progress made by each member state.