The United Nations has made 3 December International Day for Persons with Disabilities. The theme this year is “Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive society and development for all”.
It’s been a strong theme in the relationship between Britain and Romania, with many organisations working together to improve the services available to people with disabilities and to defend and promote their rights.
Last month, I saw the work being done by two of these organisations, both with people with hearing and visual impairments. First, I went to the Special High school “Vasile Pavelcu” in Iaşi where Sense International has started a special vocational training course to give deafblind people new skills to help them access the job market.
I took part in a workshop with them crafting marzipan decorations for a local cake shop, and they were doing an excellent job (much better than me!) in making flowers, leaves, and confections for any festive occasion – even a baby in a crib.
They were also making a point – that the workplace is not just for those with all five senses. Everyone has talent, and often those who have a deficiency in some senses can show a surplus in others.
Take Professor Vasile Adamescu, for example. He has been deaf and blind from birth, but speaks five languages, is an accomplished sculptor, and recently published his autobiography “Confronting Life” which he wrote in Braille. In my own organisation too, I have several colleagues with visual impairments.
The UK’s Foreign Office has a policy of including people with disabilities, not just to respect their rights in the work place but also because they bring talent and a new perspective to our work together as diplomats.
This was my message at the Caledonian Ball on St Andrew’s Day which the Scottish community celebrates each year in Bucharest in aid of Light into Europe. This is another Great British-Romanian partnership which has been providing the Braille text books and other tools that deaf and blind children need for their education, as well as running the first Guide Dog programme in Romania.
Each Christmas the children, parents and team from Light into Europe come round to my house to sing carols (‘colinde’) around the tree. I have watched them growing up. And as they do, I hope we are ready for them – by Breaking the Barriers that prevent them from accessing educational or employment opportunities, and by Opening the Doors to our companies and offices so that they can make their contribution, like everyone else, to society.