‘A lot of people have worked very hard’
SEEING 200 people greeting deputies at the States the day the Disability and Inclusion strategy was passed was a ‘lump in throat’ moment for a former chairwoman of the Guernsey Disability Alliance.
Shelaine Green was in the role from 2009 until 2016 and said she has loved to see how the organisation has developed over the years.
‘Rob Platts created the GDA and his in-depth understanding of human rights was the underpinning of everything we did,’ said Ms Green.
‘My job was to make sure we had momentum as an organisation – quite often things get set up in Guernsey and then fade away.’
During her time in the position, she said there were lots of high points and plenty of low ones.
‘If you’d told me when we were standing on the steps of the States in 2013 that it would take nine years to get the legislation to final approval stage, and that some deputies would still be trying to undermine it, I would have been in bits,’ she said.
‘Disabled islanders and carers deserve better from their government. But I’m really grateful to the Committee for Employment and Social Security for taking the project over from Policy and Resources and finally getting it this far. A lot of people have worked very hard.’
She considered improving accessibility to the taxi service was a stand out achievement.
‘I was proud of the painstaking work we did with the Environment Department to introduce accessible taxis. Both Rob and I hugely valued the mentorship of Dave Purdy, who had been a campaigner for rights for disabled islanders for 40 years prior to the GDA’s existence.
‘His words of approval for what we were doing always meant the world,’ said Ms Green.
Her biggest development while chairwoman was when Karen Blanchford was brought in, at the time as executive director.
‘All credit to the Guernsey Community Foundation, the Lloyds Foundation and now the Social Investment Fund for the support they give voluntary organisation to recruit paid staff – it is vital.’
