Making government buildings accessible to service dogs used by the visually impaired and disabled is a welcome move, but many people with disabilities still cannot access buildings such as banks and restaurants because of stairs and the lack of lifts and ramps.The Ministry of Food Production has placed ads in the media that service dogs are now allowed in all government buildings, and even though disability rights activist Susan Alexander has welcomed the move, she said "many buildings are still not user-friendly for disabled people."
Alexander said, "We're quite slow in moving the pace forward for the disabled community but at the same time, I must applaud the movements that have been made to have a certain amount achieved as we move forward. I must give kudos to the present administration because it is trying to accommodate the disabled."
She noted that Tertiary Education and Skills Training Minister Fazal Karim called on businesses to hire more people with disabilities. However, she said, "from the time of the NFM (National Flour Mills) protest (in 2003) to the present, the consciousness to understand the disabled's needs is still lacking."
Alexander, who uses crutches to move around, has been employed in the position as a seamstress with the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) for 12 years. She said even though there was policy for the disabled in effect, implementation was quite slow and there was minimal improvement.Alexander said it was ironic that the Government in drafting plans for the disabled did not consult more with stakeholders in the decision-making process.
She said the able-bodied only saw life from their perspective and took many of the daily activities of the disabled for granted.Alexander said a staircase could prove a daunting challenge and takeits toll on a disabled person using crutches or a wheelchair.She said other challenges the disabled encountered daily were trying to access government buildings, banks, malls and navigate high pavements. This is dehumanising, she said.
Alexander said over time the disabled learned to develop strong bladders.She related how in 2011, wheelchair-bound DPI representative, Justin Barker couldn't get into the bathroom of the Port-of-Spain Town Hall when he attended a meeting on discrimination hosted by the Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC).
Disabled people, she said, are an afterthought in this country as the town hall's bathrooms remain unchanged up to this day.Alexander said the visually impaired and the physically challenged learned to adapt very early in life to whatever conditions they faced.She said at home children with disabilities were almost fully integrated into the family, but when they ventured out into society they were stigmatised.
Alexander said a fitting tribute to keep the legacy of the former chairman of the local chapter of Disabled People International (DPI) George Daniel alive was to ensure that the younger generation of disabled people get meaningful employment.She said it pained her every time she saw the younger generation of disabled people in the same situation they were in since they protested in front NFM in 2003.
Alexander said that they should not be experiencing this in 2015.They are fighting to ensure Daniel's vision does not die. Daniel is best remembered for leading a 116-day protest in 2003 outside NFM, following the company's refusal to employ two disabled people.In 2005, Daniel, through former AG Anand Ramlogan, filed a constitutional motion against the State for its failure to provide adequate access facilities for disabled people at the Hall of Justice.
Daniel died on April 7, 2010.
Newallo-Hosein: Provisionsin government manifestofor the disabled
Minister of the People and Social Development Christine Newallo-Hosein said there were provisions in the Government manifesto for the disabled.She said in relation to user-friendly housing, there was also the land for the landless policy that ensured that people with disabilities were treated equally in keeping with the ratification of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Newallo-Hosein said the convention also put in place the framework for buildings to conform to the accommodation of people living with disabilities and to ensure employment.She said it was a very comprehensive and cohesive approach that the Government was taking towards disabled people running the full gamut from housing, transport, employment and education.
Newallo-Hosein said Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh met with approximately 150 stakeholders from 63 organisations in a national consultation on special needs education at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, on April 29.She said Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz planned to implement measures in the new Motor Vehicle Bill for the disabled such as parking permits, reserved parking, and $5,000 fines for able-bodied people who park in spaces reserved for the disabled.
Newallo-Hosein said legislation will be introduced to provide a better inclusion for people with disabilities.
US disability rights attorney helps draft legislation for the disabled
John Wodatch, a US disability rights attorney who was instrumental in writing the first US federal disability rights regulations in the 1970s and played an important role drafting the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), visited T&T recently to make recommendations on its legislation for the disabled and hold discussions with several stakeholders, including Newallo-Hosein, on the ratification of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.