Tetra Tech ProJustice Program Works to Advance Disability Rights
The Tetra Tech-supported Justice Sector Support Program in Côte d’Ivoire (ProJustice), which is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has produced a 20 minute documentary to raise awareness of disability rights in Côte d’Ivoire. The video showcases the work of the ProJustice program to improve access to justice for people with disabilities and will prove useful to other individuals, organizations, and governments interested in disability rights.
ProJustice aims to provide the citizens of Côte d’Ivoire the confidence to resolve disputes through the justice system. To this end, ProJustice is working to improve case processing times, reduce pending case backlogs, and increase court user satisfaction. ProJustice also is working to demystify the legal system, educating the general public on how to file a legal case or obtain a legal document while also raising awareness of human rights, including disability rights.
The video includes commentary by Ivoirians who have physical, auditory, and visual disabilities outlining their experiences with discrimination and their difficulties accessing justice. Local community members address the prejudices they have experienced, the difficulty they have getting transportation, and the impact of a lack of accessibility in their daily lives. Although the film largely takes place in the largest city, Abidjan, the video also touches on the even greater challenges faced by disabled persons in the rural areas.
The video showcases the assistance Tetra Tech is providing, including raising public awareness of disability rights and training judges, court staff, journalists, and sign language interpreters to improve support provided to disabled court users.