MoE reviewing inclusion policy as Govt seeks to employ more PWDs

As the Government moves to expand employment opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs), the Education Ministry is reviewing its inclusion policy to strengthen support systems and ensure greater access to education and the workforce for all learners. This was revealed by, Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO) for Special Education Needs (SEN), Dr Keon Cheong at the Education Ministry.

He was speaking following the launch of a series of virtual training workshops for parents and teachers of children with disabilities by the Ministry’s SEN Unit. During an interview with Director of the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD), Ganesh Singh on the Disability and You programme, Dr Cheong noted that assistive technology support for persons with disabilities is long overdue. “We are also looking to review our inclusion policy. The last one was done in 2010, and we’re looking at updating that inclusion policy. This inclusion policy will be really comprehensive when it’s completed.”

“The Ministry of Education has put out an advertisement for a consultant to develop an assistive technology policy for us, basically helping the Ministry of Education to understand what assistive technology is. I believe that when persons spoke about assistive technology five years ago and when we speak about assistive technology now, the definitions can vary.” He explained that the consultancy would provide the Ministry with an updated understanding of assistive technology, including what it means, what it looks like, and how it can be applied within the context of Guyana. “So, this will give us an updated understanding of what assistive technology is, what it means, what it looks like, and what it can look like in the context of Guyana. That consultancy advertisement was published, and the process should be moving forward. I just want to add that the consultancy for assistive technology will form part and parcel of the inclusion policy.”

Meanwhile, he noted that the Ministry has the highest rate of employment for persons with disabilities among Government Ministries in Guyana. “At this point in time, the Ministry of Education has been employing a number of persons with disabilities, and I think it is clear to see that the Ministry of Education has the highest employment rate of persons with disabilities of any Ministry in this country.”

“What I’ve noted is that while we have employed them, and that’s an excellent thing, we also want to make them as functional as possible. We need to ensure that the positions in which they are placed are those that best suit their skill sets because, again, we need to understand the different layers of this topic.” In discussing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, he emphasised that placing individuals in roles for which they are not best suited or comfortable can have negative consequences not only for the individual but also for their colleagues and the wider workplace. He explained that one of the key lessons he gained from attending a supported employment conference through the National Commission on Disability was the importance of job matching and functional assessments.

“I started a conversation with the management committee of the Education Ministry about a supported employment programme for youth or any person with a disability seeking employment, not just in education but across Guyana. What it would mean is that this person can access a functional assessment that identifies their skills and areas of strength. We can then match that person to a list of available vacancies. So, if any Ministry is seeking a person with a particular skill set, we can say, ‘Okay, we’ve got this person with a disability who would best fit here,’ or that person may not be a fit for one position but may be suitable for another.”

He closed by stating that agencies need to understand that it needs to be done properly and that the level of output may be different from that of their peers, but that does not diminish their value in the workplace.