Issued by: Department of Health
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DISABLED PERSONS
3 December 1996 is International Day of Disabled Persons. This day, aimed at Disability Awareness Raising, is recognised worldwide.
The Department of Health would like to contribute towards the realisation of the theme of "equal opportunities" by focusing on Increasing Accessibility to Health Care services. The primary target group will be health care professionals and health facilities planners, including the Department of Public Works. The secondary target group will be persons with physical disabilities, visual, hearing and language impairments as well as persons with mental disorders.
This exercise is based on the premise that a significant number of health facilities (both public and private) are inaccessible, inadvertently affecting the right to access to health care. it is also based on the historical reality where services in general and for disabled people in particular were neither accessible nor equitable. With its commitment to the daring ethos, the Department of Health would like to play a significant role in redressing the legacy of the past.
After a period of one year deserving facilities will be awarded with certificates based on their accessibility rating: bronze, silver and gold. Volunteer facilities will be rated by persons with disabilities who will also take part in setting down assessment criteria.
This Department is committed to fostering a caring ethos, especially towards vulnerable groups; women, older persons, children and persons with disabilities.
3 December 1996