"Together we can".
Improving the living conditions of people with disabilities cannot be the
achievement of an individual or a sole group. To make the change, we shall work
together despite our differences. Each of us shall make his contribution. Persons
with disability or not, it is only together that we can bring this change for
the improvement of the living conditions of people with disabilities worldwide.
Changes that target
people with disabilities’ life are very important for the whole society. Like the
improvement of the living conditions of women and children, the fact of
improving the living conditions of persons with disabilities is today an
important indicator of social development.
In
1999, Bengt Lindqvist, UN, former special reporter of the Sub-Commission on Prevention
of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities said: “Disability is a Human Rights issue. So long as people with
disabilities are denied the opportunity to participate fully in society, no one
can claim that the objectives of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have
been achieved”. Today, we can add: “So long
as people with disabilities are denied the opportunity to participate fully in
society, no one can claim that the objectives of the Millennium Development
goals have been achieved”.
Together, we shall
contribute to the social development of our society by mainstreaming people with
disabilities into all social, economic and cultural development projects and
by working hard to promote UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities.
Yédê Adama SANOGO
Director of SWB-CI