Deaf and transgender human rights advocate, Eve Naqio was proud to celebrate human rights and equality at the International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebration in Suva yesterday.

“For me it means celebrating our diversity. It’s also recognising that we are all equal – me as a transgender person and women, men, children, because God has created us equally,” she signed.

“I think we’ve made a lot of changes. There’s a lot of progress. We, the disabilities community, are now being respected, maybe not as much we want but we’re getting there.”

The event, which is part of Human Rights Week sported a range of activities, with children and adults from diverse backgrounds under the Fiji Disabled People’s Federation coming together in festivity.

“In one of today’s activities we’re getting the children to articulate on paper what human rights means to them,” Ms Naqio signed.

Children drew pictures and highlighted areas such as “right to safety” and “right to inclusion” as people living with disabilities in the wider community.

Psychiatric Survivors Association community liaison officer, Vereniki Mataka said the celebrations reminded people that those with disabilities were just like everyone else.

“For me it’s very important for us with disabilities because it makes us known that we’re just like everybody else – we’re human beings and we like to be treated like human beings,” he said.

“When we say hello we’re just like you.”

Mr Mataka said people with disabilities are not “an item or an object” and he is glad the human rights commissions have given the community the opportunity to be noticed.

“In Fiji there’s a lot of us out there in the community,” he said.

“In the villages that they need to be educated on what we’re like and we’re so glad that various departments here today represent all of us for the whole of Fiji.”

The event was held at the Fiji Disabled Association headquarters in Suva, featuring a live band, plenty of smiles, laughter and activity.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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