government offices, courts and shops more accessible and user friendly. It is not only direct service and support providers who have to consider making premises accessible. Inaccessible workplaces present barriers to persons with disabilities to access employment and employers need to play a significant role in removing such barriers. Inaccessibility of the built environment is a major contributing factor that decreases the number of workplaces available to persons with disabilities. Where government organisations rent facilities to be used by their customers, they shall be required to consider access to premises under their role as purchaser, provider and regulator of public services. It is noteworthy that there is increasing awareness among service providers of the implications of buildings and workplaces with difficult access. There is evidence of genuine attempt to address this issue in the recently constructed Family and Children Service Centres. However, there are still design shortcomings and several practical limitations in these centres. 9.13 Lack of visible leadership and commitment There is no single, highly visible and accessible entry point to all government disability services and support. The Ministry of Health and Family has the broad mandate to provide leadership on disability issues however there is no office, department, division or unit under the ACTIVITIES ADDRESSING RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Ministry that is given exclusive mandate to develop policies, coordinate activities and monitor ... 70 the performance of the government’s disability related programmes. From government’s point of view there are gaps and areas for improving administrative efficiency. From the perspective of persons with disabilities and their families disability supports are complicated to access, inflexible and inequitable (across age groups, geographical areas, cause of impairment, and type of impairment). There are many good gains to be achieved by improving access to services, by simplifying assessment processes, and by providing flexible services determined by whatever the person wants support with. There is a need for a well structured and streamlined Office for Disability that reports to the Minister of Health and Family. The Office would have the mandate to oversee the implementation and coordination of programs and policies that enhance the health and well being of people with disabilities; work directly with other sections of the Ministry of Health and Family to facilitate policy development and to advance disability issues across other Government Ministries and Departments. Within the mission of the office will be the identification of