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March declared Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
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Posted on Feb 23 2005
Gov. Juan N. Babauta has signed a proclamation designating the entire month of March “CNMI Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month”.
Babauta signed the proclamation during the opening of the 2005 Conference of Pacific Basin Interagency Leadership Consortium held at the Hyatt Regency Saipan Tuesday evening.
The governor said developmental disabilities are inherent or acquired physical and mental conditions affecting more than six million American children and adults of all ages, as determined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
He also said more than 9,000 citizens with disabilities reside in the Commonwealth, which makes up 13 percent of the entire CNMI population.
The governor shared that one of the major goals of the CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities is to be active in “progressive advocacy, capacity building and systemic changes” to ensure that individuals with developmental and other disabilities, and their families, can participate and can have access to community services, individualized support and other forms of assistance given to them.
He assured that community members with disabilities will have equal access to all government services, employment, communication, labor, housing, public accommodations, education, transportation, health and child care and recreation.
The CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities will lead the move to achieve all these goals.
Former chairperson of CNMI Developmental Disabilities Council Mariano K. Camacho also gave an inspirational speech to participants.
The proclamation signing was also attended by PBILC representatives from Guam, Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Palau, and Marshall Islands. Officers from Western Regional Resource Center and National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center also participated in the event. (Marconi Calindas)
