Since 2017, the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network has advocated for the importance of persons with disabilities being represented in the Commonwealth’s Parliaments. The Network encourages all Parliamentarians to include a disabilities perspective in all aspects of their role - legislation, oversight and representation - and helps Parliaments to become institutions that are sensitive to issues that persons with disabilities are confronted with, as an often marginalised group. The Network helps Parliaments to sensitise themselves to disability issues in a variety of ways, including supporting changes to facilities for accessibility, the development of research publications and the coordination of workshops and events to further promote the disability agenda
Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD)
CPwD Mission
To encourage Commonwealth Parliaments to enable effective and full participation of persons with disabilities at all levels
CPwD Governance and Structure
The CPwD network represents Parliamentarians with disabilities in Commonwealth jurisdictions and operates within the framework of the CPA to promote the representation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in CPA member Parliaments. It is governed by a Chairperson, who acts as the Network’s focal point, providing
leadership and direction to CPwD activities. The Chairperson is elected every 3 years and was first elected in November 2020. The current Chairperson’s term will conclude at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in 2023.
The Network is also governed by a committee of Regional Champions, representing each of the CPA’s 9
Regions. These Regional Champions promote the rights and opportunities for Parliamentarians with disabilities within their respective jurisdiction and wider CPA Region. Staff from the CPA Headquarters Secretariat support the Network by coordinating activities alongside its Members and providing resources for its Members.
CPwD Chairperson
Hon. Laura Kanushu, Member of the Parliament of Uganda
Hon. Laura Kanushu, MP (Uganda) was elected as the CPwD Chairperson at the CPwD Regional Champions meeting held in the margins of the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Halifax, Canada in August 2022. In the same year, the CPwD Chairperson also became an Officer of the Association and a Member of the CPA Executive Committee.
Senator Paul Richards (Trinidad and Tobago) is the CPwD Vice-Chairperson and was also elected at the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference.
Hon. Laura Kanushu is a Ugandan lawyer, politician and legislator. She represents people with disabilities in the Parliament of Uganda, where she is a member of the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Her career as a human rights advocate has focused especially for people with disabilities and she is the Executive Director of Legal Action for People with Disabilities (LAPD). She is an Executive Member of the Uganda Women's Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) as the people with disabilities representative.
In the Parliament of Uganda, she is a Member of the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline and she is also a Member of the Gender Labour and Social Development Committee.
In 2020, the network established its governing committee of nine regional champions. The CPwD Regional Champions have been chosen to represent each of the CPA’s nine Regions and will promote the rights of Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities in their Region and represent disability interests within the CPA.
The current list of Regional Champions are as follows:
• Hon. Timothy Wanyonyi, MP (Kenya National Assembly - CPA Africa Region)
• Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, MP (Parliament of Sri Lanka - CPA Asia Region)
• Hon. Liesl Tesch, MP (New South Wales Legislative Assembly - CPA Australia Region)
• Hon. Jeremy Balfour, MSP (Scottish Parliament - CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Region)
• Hon. Shane Thompson, MLA (Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories - CPA Canada Region)
• Senator Hon. Paul Richards (Senate of Trinidad and Tobago - CPA Caribbean, Americas and the Atlantic Region)
• Smt. Supriya Sule, MP (Lok Sabha, Parliament of India - CPA India Region)
• Hon. Priyanca Radhakrishnan, MP (New Zealand Parliament - CPA Pacific Region)
• Senator Hon. Isaiah Jacob (Dewan Negara, Parliament of Malaysia - CPA South-East Asia Region)
2021 - 2022: Hon. Dennitah Ghati, HSC (Kenya)
2019 - 2021: Hon. Kevin S. Murphy (Nova Scotia)
Download the CPwD Strategic Plan
CPwD Programmes
CPwD Capital Investment Fund - Apply Now
The CPwD Capital Investment Fund is a reserve of funding established by the CPA Secretariat in 2021 to raise the accessibility of CPA member Parliaments.
The priorities for the Fund include but are not limited to, improving the physical accessibility of Parliaments, procurement of assistive technology, or supporting persons with disabilities to seek higher office.
In 2022, the Parliament of Jamaica used CPwD funding to implement several changes to the physical infrastructure of Gordon House, the Parliament building, to better accommodate wheelchair users.
In 2023, the Parliaments of Montserrat, Scotland, Sierra Leone, and Yukon were supported with adaptations to their respective institutions. Examples of projects that took place for these Parliaments included the conversion of laws into braille and easy-read formats, procurement of equipment for broadcasting sittings, and the installation of automatic door openers.
Disability Inclusive Communications Guidelines
The CPwD Disability Inclusive Communications Guidelines emphasise the importance of inclusive language and communications in Parliaments. The CPwD network recognises that accessible and inclusive communications are essential for ensuring equitable participation for all individuals, including those with disabilities, in democratic processes. This version of the toolkit was updated and published in May 2024.
CPwD Resources
Blog | Queensland hosts Australia’s First Deaf Youth Parliament
Blog | How the Seychelles National Assembly is promoting inclusivity for hearing-impaired people
Blog | Connecting Disability Rights and Accessibility in South Africa and the UK
Blog | How to host a disability outreach event in Parliament
