Francesca Martinez, tv personality, comedian, author and disability rights activist performed her wonderful comedy show at the Sunborn Hotel last Friday 11th July. Francesca has cerebral palsy but prefers to describe herself as “wobbly” and is best known for her stand up comedy work and acting. Her show was a mix of comic and thought provoking annecdotes about her life growing up with a disability. Minister for the Opposition Damian Bossino was even persuaded to take part in one sketch on stage which caused much merriment amongst the audience. Ms Martinez followed her show with a question and answer session and a book signing at which she spent time chatting and meeting audience members. The show was a huge success and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. The Society would like to congratulate the Equality Rights Group for organising such a wonderful event and the Gibraltar Government and the Sunborn Hotel who’s sponsorship allowed this to take place.
The Ministry for Culture informs us that the outdoor area for the disabled at the GASA pool is now open for the summer season. There is still ongoing work being done to the new public facility next door but the shaded area has been finished first to allow pass holders to start enjoying the summer.
Congratulations to Janine Gaduzo, a wonderful OT, who has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queens birthday honours list this year for services to improving the lives of special needs children and their families in Gibraltar. Well deserved.
“Gibraltar Pride 2014” will celebrate the togetherness we enjoy in Gibraltar along with our diversity and equality. Our vision is to include at various events as many different sectors of the community as possible, in a celebration for all, that places Gibraltar on the map as an example of a community that co-exists with strong ties and solidarity. Our events will be focused not on measures which may contribute to greater isolation but, rather, to greater togetherness. We want to make this a celebration of our individualities whilst embracing and sharing pride in our older generations, our physically and mentally challenged citizens, our young, our diverse cultures, our ethnic groups, our LGBT communities, our different faiths, and other sectors who may wish to come forward to celebrate in peace and understanding. With the aim of not only reinforcing cohesion, we move forward with optimism on openly having fun under the slogan ‘We Are One!’ In July there will be a series of events taking place under the “We Are One” banner, which will lead up to a main public event on Saturday 12th July which is the start of Summer Nights. The Ministry of Culture has awarded “Gibraltar Pride 2014” the right to co-host the first summer night event with the theme of “Diversity and Equality – We are One”. We will mark the start of Summer Nights with a proud Gibraltarian Street Parade from Piazza at 20:15, to which we invite you to join us and participate in. Together we will march towards Casemates showing our pride, sharing our awareness, and demonstrating our togetherness.
We would like to extend a formal invitation to all your members to formally join as in the parade and respective public event.
Participants in the parade will need to assemble at Piazza between 19:30 and 20:00, ready for a 20:15 start. We would be delighted to count on your participation joined together with family and friends. The evening at Casemates will then guarantee an entertaining array of performances that will appeal to all ages whilst capturing the diversity we find in a civil and modern society like Gibraltar. For this event there will seating areas in Casemates for less mobile members of our community and also access to viewing areas for wheelchair users. There are other events planned and we will keep everyone informed via the media and in particular our Facebook page which we invite you to “like”.
We are also delighted to announce that Francesca Martinez, highly acclaimed tv personality, comedian, author and disability rights activist will be performing in Gibraltar on the 11th July 2014 as part of “Gibraltar Pride 2014”. Francesca will be bringing to Gibraltar her well known comedy show “What The **** Is Normal?!” which will take place at 22:00 in the Aurora Ballroom onboard the Sunborn Hotel. Information regarding tickets will be made available over the forthcoming weeks.
The Gibraltar Disability Society was honoured today, 14th May 2014, to be awarded The Independent Civil Society Award. This award was given by the Equality Rights Group . The award was given “in recognition of the tenacious and long-standing work of the Society in often difficult but necessary lobbying for improved rights and adequate legislation in the general raising of awareness in favour of a Gibraltar in which we are all treated equally”. The Society would like to thank Felix Alvarez, who presented the award, and the Equality Rights Group for recognising the work that the Society does and has done as a non governmental organisation. A posthumous award was also given to our late Chairwoman Mrs Agnes Valarino in recognition of her pioneering disability-centred work. This award was proudly collected by her eldest son Bernard Valarino on behalf of her family who attended the presentation. Agnes served for many years as chairwoman and the committee continues her fight to introduce legislation to protect the rights of the disabled in Gibraltar and to further improve, in what ever way we can, the lives of our disabled members and their families.
Autism Support Gibraltar are very pleased to announce that we are hosting the first conference of its kind here in Gibraltar, designed specifically for the sole benefit of parents, carers and family members of people in Gibraltar with Autism.
This conference is a full day event and will take place on Thursday the 15th May, from 9:00 till 4:30, at the Eliott O’Callaghan Hotel (Lunch and tea breaks provided).
The three speakers whom we are bringing over from UK are experienced professionals in their respective fields, and have compiled talks relevant to individuals living with a loved one with ASD. There will also be an opportunity for parents to ask the panel for advice on specific issues they may be having.
The conference is titled “Positive About Autism”. It is being sponsored by the Kusuma Trust and various local supportive companies.
Entrance is free of charge, however seats must be reserved beforehand. In order to assist us in booking your place please contact us on 54019528 or e-mail autismsupport@gibtelecom.net
For any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.
‘Light It Up Blue’ is a global campaign that sees thousands of iconic landmarks, cities and towns around the world turn blue on April 2 to recognise World Autism Awareness Day. The campaign highlights the pressing need for greater public education and awareness of autism in our community.
Gibraltar is joining many other countries around the world in the illumination of an iconic building in blue. The Government has decided to light up the Gibraltar Parliament.
The blue lights will be switched on at 8.00pm on Wednesday 2nd April and will remain switched on until Sunday.
The Gibraltar Disability Society will sending two representatives, Mrs Nicole Byrne and Mr Maurice Valarino, to the Project SEARCH 2014 Europe Conference to be held in Glasgow in June. As part of the Society’s initiative to move forward and create much needed employment opportunities for persons with disabilities we have also issued invitations to Miss Samantha Sacramento Minister for Social Services, Mr John Cortez Minister for Health, Mrs Isobel Ellul Hammond Shadow spokesperson for Social Services and Health and Mrs Antonia Savignon-Balestrino from the Autism Support Group. The Society has offered to sponsor those we have invited to attend alongside our own representatives and we hope, as well as attending the conference, we will be able to organise a visit to a working Project SEARCH programme. By attending this conference we are following on from the visit to Gibraltar, sponsored by the Society, in October last year of Miss Erin Riehle, Founder and Senior Director and Mrs Anne O’Bryan, Program Consultant and UK Lead both from Project SEARCH. It was during this visit that Miss Riehle, Mrs O’Bryan and Nicole Byrne met with the Ministers for Health, Education and Social Services give them the opportunity to hear firsthand how such a project could benefit Gibraltar’s disabled young persons. Since its inception in 1996 Project SEARCH has grown from a single program site to over 200 sites across the United States and Canada, England, Scotland, and Australia. Further updates to regarding the Conference visit will be made over the coming weeks.
The Gibraltar Disability Society wish to congratulate the Equality Right Group Gibraltar after Parliament today passed the Civil Partnership Bill. Felix Alvarez, founder and Chairman of the ERG, stated today that it has taken 14 years of campaigning to bring about this legislation and thanked the Government for delivering on their electoral promise. Unfortunately for disabled members of our community, after over 30 years of campaigning by the Disability Society, there is still no legislation to protect their rights. This is despite a promise by the present government to introduce legislation based on the terms of the UN convention within their first year in government.
We have received the following information from GHITA:
We have been informed by the Gibraltar Health Authority that as from Thursday 6th March 2014, persons who have been clinically diagnosed as profoundly deaf and are registered with the department of Audiology can avail themselves, if they so desire, of the GHA text (SMS) service when booking an appointment. The telephone number to send messages is 58008464.
Persons are required to register at the Registration Office in the Primary Care Centre at their earliest convenience.