Disability Awareness Week: "Changing Perspectives"

“On our island, where solidarity is a vital force, disability remains all too often invisible, taboo, or excluded.” This was the starting point for the Regional Center for People with Disabilities (MTPH) when designing a project that could help dispel many misconceptions. With the support of the Territorial Collectivity and the Medical-Social Center, of which the MTPH is a part, disability program coordinator Aurélie Garrigues has therefore organized an event to be held from March 30 to April 12 in Saint-Barthélemy: Disability Awareness Fortnight. A first for the island.
Over the course of two weeks, through numerous activities and events, the objectives will be multifaceted. First and foremost, to raise awareness among the broadest possible segment of the population. Through inclusive workshops (music, theater, sports, etc.), conferences, exhibitions, and roundtable discussions. To exchange ideas, communicate, and understand. Both the challenges and constraints of visible and invisible disabilities. To also demonstrate that “people with disabilities are a driving force, not recipients of aid,” emphasizes Aurélie Garrigues.
Activities will take place in schools, at the Saint-Jean stadium, the Théâtre du Paradis, the harbor master’s office, and supermarkets… Each time with the support of institutional and community partners, as well as healthcare professionals. Such as Dr. Olivier Revol, a neurologist and child psychiatrist who has been practicing regularly in Saint-Barth for years.
The fortnight will also be an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the island’s situation regarding disability as well as the support systems that exist. “There is a structural deficit on the island that is slow to be resolved,” notes Aurélie Garrigues. “The Collectivité is not the sole decision-maker. There is also the Regional Health Agency. Senator Micheline Jacques has done a great deal of work on this issue in the Overseas Territories. The idea behind this fortnight is to propose something specific to Saint Barthélemy.”

A predominantly working-age population
Created in November 2024, the MTPH serves as a one-stop shop for intake, needs assessment, and the implementation of compensation plans. On average, a case is processed within three months. This process can take up to a year in other territories or in mainland France. In 2025, the MTPH had 266 so-called active cases, including 70 children (ages 3 to 17) and 196 adults. Among children, intellectual disabilities account for 90% of cases, with 9% due to disabling illnesses and 1% due to physical disabilities. Various other conditions are also present. Among adults, physical disabilities affect 50% of those served by the MTPH, 27% have a disabling illness, 9% have a mental disability, 8% have a sensory disability, and 6% have an intellectual disability.
In Saint-Barthélemy, disability affects a predominantly working-age population (57% between 40 and 59 years old and 31.5% between 50 and 59 years old). The MTPH notes a gender breakdown of 55% men to 45% women. Furthermore, mental disabilities are concentrated among people under 50 years old. As for intellectual disabilities, which are rare on the island, they often appear in childhood.
The fortnight will also provide an opportunity to address issues related to inclusion, particularly in the workplace. “Companies are required to have 6% of their workforce comprised of workers with disabilities,” explains Aurélie Garrigues. Some companies don’t really care about this, but neither do some employees. “Some people with disabilities do not want to be recognized as disabled,” notes the program coordinator. Not to mention that the administrative process for obtaining disability recognition remains particularly complex. Although, here again, the MTPH provides support to those wishing to begin the process.
Disability Awareness Week will kick off on Monday, March 30, at 11:30 a.m. with an official launch at the Saint-Jean Stadium.