Gaynel Agustus likes to be on the ground, feeling the soil under her feet: “I love to get my hands dirty, and I love plants. Because I can’t see, I use my hands, nose and feet to ‘see’ what the soil needs, or if it is just right.” Born in Antigua and Barbuda, Gaynel grew up with five brothers. She used to work at a local radio station, but after completely losing her vision due to health-related complications, she had to stay home.
From that point forward, she started focusing on working on her little backyard garden with her son. Now, at 43 years old, Gaynel is the Vice President of the Antigua and Barbuda Association for Persons with Disabilities (ABAPD), where she gets to work with horticultural therapy, a process of using plants and soil for therapy, among other activities: “Horticultural therapy has brought emotional healing to me and other members of the association.”
Persons with Disabilities and Sustainable Development
Persons with disabilities are one of the largest minority groups in the world, representing about 15% of the world’s population. They face barriers to full participation in society and many have limited access to infrastructure, services, information and jobs. Discriminatory social stigmas that promote exclusion and marginalization further amplify these challenges. As we approach the deadline for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, progress is insufficient on several targets of the Sustainable Development Goals relating to inclusion and persons with disabilities. This is particularly true for targets on reducing poverty, improving access to employment and health care, enhancing food security, and building resilience to climate change impacts.
Photo: JAYAR/SGP Antigua & Barbuda
For women and Indigenous persons with disabilities, persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, and persons with disabilities living in rural areas, the gaps are even wider. In Antigua and Barbuda – a Small Island Developing State in the Eastern Caribbean where Gaynel lives – persons living with disabilities represent a significant part of the most vulnerable portion of the population. Several factors contribute to this vulnerability, including mobility issues and other disabilities. In a society that lacks accessibility, this means persons with disabilities face additional barriers to attend public schools, work, take advantage of training opportunities, access health services, or simply socialize.
“To accelerate sustainable development by, for, and with persons with disabilities, we need to ensure their inclusion in decision-making processes and promote their leadership in all areas of our society.” - Natalya Lawrence, SGP National Coordinator in Antigua and Barbuda
Leaving No One Behind
In late 2021, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supported the ABAPD to start a project to improve food security for persons with disabilities in Antigua and Barbuda by using .climate-smart techniques. Its main goals are to develop a fruit tree nursery and orchard on the grounds of the ABAPD, along with a greenhouse, a hydroponics system, a water harvesting system and an apiary. To achieve all of this, the association has introduced horticultural therapy and is providing continuous training on various topics to its members – most of whom are women with disabilities like Gaynel.