Following a protest by members of the Deaf Association of Guyana in front of the Public Security Ministry requesting that they be given a fair chance to drive on Guyana’s roadway without discrimination, the green light has been given for them to write the drivers’ examination.
Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has given the go ahead to commence a Pilot Programme in ‘A’ Division which will allow persons who are deaf to participate in the theoretical and practical drivers’ examination on May 24.
The commencement of the Pilot Programme was agreed to when Ramjattan recently met with the National Commission on Disability and the Deaf Association of Guyana.
As such, six persons from the deaf community in Guyana will be included in the Pilot Project at a date to be announced later.
The Pilot Programme is one of the recommendations agreed to by Cabinet to facilitate the issuance of Driver’s permit to persons who are hearing impaired.
The other recommendation include a rigorous national awareness campaign for the general populace including the beneficiaries and the implementation of issuance of driver’s licence to deaf drivers only for private and not commercial vehicles taking into consideration the present infrastructural development and culture of driving on Guyana’s road ways.
The Government says it will continue to provide equality and insure non- discrimination for persons with disabilities as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
