Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) has commemorated the National Disability Day, celebrated every year on the 29th of March. BbP held awareness events at all its Library Learning Centres (LLCs) with the theme: “United in Action to rescue and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for, with, and by persons with disabilities”.
All BbP’s LLCs are inclusive and welcome the enrolment of children with different abilities, into its Early Childhood Education and After School programs. The importance of being welcoming, inclusive and tolerant is practiced every day to reduce the stigma around disability and provide all children with an opportunity to become literate and educated.
BbP has children attending with disabilities such as; hearing impairment, speech impairment, physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities and special needs.
BbP has had an Inclusive Education program since 2008 and has published 2 books, created numerous education materials and will be publishing a Children’s Sign Language Dictionary later in the year. BbP’s Inclusive Education program is sponsored by the Sir Brian Bell Foundation.
The celebration included a presentation to parents about inclusive education and awareness about different disabilities. BbP’s Inclusive Education team read and signed BbP’s published book “I am Noah and this is my story”, authored by Noah Agino, who is having hearing impaired and has been working with BbP since 2008.
The children and parents also had a great time learning to count in sign language as it is one of the 4 officially recognized languages in PNG.
