On the 10th of April 2023, the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired of São Tomé and Príncipe (ACASTEP) celebrated its 30th Anniversary under the theme “rebuild to include, darkness does not prevent the exercise of full citizenship”. An occasion that was presided by the President of the Republic, His Excellency, Engineer Carlos Vila Nova, Prime Minister Hon. Patricio Trovoada , Chief of staff and, other dignitaries.
While presiding over the occasion, His Excellency, Engineer Carlos Vila Nova guaranteed to exercise his influence in the judiciary to tackle multiple issues affecting the visually impaired persons.
Speaking on the same occasion, the Prime Minister Hon. Patricio Trovoada raised the issue of accessibility to public services and health care by persons with disability. And, guaranteed to work in collaborations with both private and public institutions to improve access to facilities for person with visual impaired and to support ACASTEP in executing their programs and activities.
Also, the chief of staff highlighted the importance of inclusive public policies and development programs with an intention of alleviating the existing problems in the society.
As part of the celebration, ACASTEP carried out various activities aimed at promoting inclusivity and autonomy including lobbying for the ratification of the African Disability Protocol. Mr. Lucas Amoda, AFUB program officer for Promoting the Rights of Blind and Partially Sighted Persons in Africa urged the Sao Tome and Principe government to consider the excellent prospects the protocol present to persons with visual impairment and asked for their support.
In her speech, ACASTEP President Madam Eugenia Neto lamented on the lack of elaborated mechanism to include the visually impaired to have access to employment, education, health services, housing and others. She called upon the successive government to domesticate the African disability protocol and other laws pertaining to persons with disability which had been approved 11 years ago.
ACASTEP was founded on April 8, 1993 and as to date has approximately 350 members who are visually impaired. The organization has since then worked in collaboration with AFUB and other institutions to promote the Rights of the Visually Impaired Persons in São Tomé and Príncipe. During the month of April 2023, ACASTEP executed various activities aimed at protecting the rights of Visually Impaired People and boosting actions so that they are autonomous and integrated into society.
Bernice Otieno.
AFUB, Communication and Fundraising Officer.
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