On Friday, July 1, 2022, the official retirement of Nathalie Murphy goes into effect. Mrs. Murphy has been serving as DAPD’s Executive Director for over nineteen (19) years. She is a pioneer of the disability movement in Dominica and has provided almost thirty-nine (39) years of uninterrupted service to the disability movement in various capacities, not only in Dominica but on the regional and international level.
During her time with DAPD, Mrs. Murphy was instrumental in assisting DAPD to realize some major goals and introduced events and activities which demonstrated that persons with disabilities are part of human diversity and equally participate in our social and economic development.
Some worthy of mention include:
- Government’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- Completion of the Multi-purpose Development Centre.
Queen and King with Disabilities Pageants.
- Cricket for the Blind.
- Establishment of a National Commission on Persons with Disabilities by Government.
DAPD’s next Executive Director will be Ms. Earnica Esprit who has been appointed to fill the position as of July 1, 2022. Ms. Esprit brings to the job, a number of wide-ranging skills necessary and needed for the further advancement of DAPD.
Her appointment comes at a time when the world is experiencing unprecedented economic, environmental, and health challenges which are impacting the global community and needless to say the disability movement.
We are confident, however, that in spite of this, our mission and vision for achieving an “all-inclusive and disability-friendly society” will continue with Ms. Esprit at the helm. We are equally confident, that the tangible and other forms of support that DAPD has obtained from various sources locally, regionally, and internationally over the years will also be maintained, for it is these resources that have enabled us to remain the “voice” of the disability community in Dominica.