Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) marks National Disability Day

Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) has today marked National Disability Day, celebrated every year on the 29th of March. BbP held awareness events it 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 practised 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. Brian Bell is also an inclusive business, with its shopfront team members having received training in sign language from BbP.

At BbP’s LLC at Evedahana Primary School – also sponsored by the Sir Brian Bell Foundation, 3 children - Linda Sam (with a physical disability resulting from TB on the spine), William Tata (blind) and Samantha Elvis (cerebral palsy) are fully participating and greatly enjoying the Early Childhood Education program.

The celebration today 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 himself 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. (Sign language is one of the 4 officially recognised languages in PNG.)

BbP’s published books and popular School Library Kits can be purchased via BbP’s web shop https://bukbilongpikinini.charity or by contacting the organisation directly.