On Sunday, as part of the commemoration of the International Day of Disabled People, the European Union (EU) reaffirmed its commitment to Haiti, in the fight for the integration of people with special needs and the full respect of their rights.

Despite the efforts undertaken by Haiti, including the adoption of the law on the integration of persons with disabilities by Parliament https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-5278-haiti-social-the-right-of-persons-with-disabilities-to-the-social-inclusion-enshrined-in-the-law-of-march-13-2012.html people with reduced mobility continue to face serious daily constraints in terms of accessibility, participation and access to essential social services, which are all obstacles to the achievement of the rule of law.

Faced with this alarming state of affairs, the EU has already undertaken a number of actions to promote better integration of people with reduced mobility and to enable them to fully enjoy their rights. For example, the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 aims to address the challenges of accessibility, participation, equality, employment, education and training, protection health, for people with reduced mobility. Through its cooperation, the EU also favors a rights-based approach, which systematically integrates one or more human rights into each funded program and project.

Recall that in Haiti, the European Union supports, through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), an initiative to support the integration of people with disabilities in Haiti, up to 300,000 euros, in partnership with the organization "Christian Blind Mission" (CBM) and the Office of the Secretary of State [Gerald Oriol Jr.] for the integration of people with disabilities (BSEIPH), with the idea of promoting a great participation of persons with disabilities (PSH) and their organizations in the development of Haiti. The project will help build the capacity of local organizations working with people with special needs in Port-au-Prince, Gonaïves and Hinche through 3 Technical and Material Resource Centers, while providing beneficiaries with a friendly, pleasant and organized space meeting their specific needs.

HL/ HaitiLibre