President of the Barbados Council for the Disabled, David 'Joey' Harper says there is growing acceptance of the important role of persons with disabilities in the society.

He was speaking to the media after a church service held at the St. David’s Anglican Church yesterday morning, which marked the official start of activities in March, recognized as the Month of the Disabled.

According to Harper, “We had a tendency many years ago to believe that a person with a disability had nothing to offer.”

He pointed to the work of Senator Kerry Ann Ifill in the Upper Chamber of Parliament as well as the accomplishments of athletes in the Paralympic Games which he described as some of the “material developments” that have occurred in the disabled community over the years.

“But above that is the change in the attitude of the people of Barbados. Whereas once, you didn’t want to be connected to a person with a disability, there are many persons coming out and offering assistance where it is possible,” he said.

Harper stated that while corporate Barbados is beginning to give tremendous help to the disabled community, there is a lot more that can be done.

“We would like to have corporate Barbados looking at the possibility of having transport in each of the businesses that could afford it for the use of persons with disabilities so that Barbados could become more accessible and in the future, fully accessible.”

“If we do this, we would find that there would be an increase in business. There are over
20,000 persons with disabilities in Barbados and if we only bring out 10,000 to Bridgetown by using equipment and buses that could be purchased and disabled-friendly buses that can be used, you can understand the increases that can come about.”

Harper also alluded to a sexual reproductive health programme which he says is going to give persons with disabilities the opportunity to fully understand issues such as HIV and AIDS, because “persons with disabilities have sexual feelings and have to find out what is safe and not so safe especially those who are slightly intellectually challenged.”

He also pointed to a Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programme which he says is going to give persons who acquire a disability an opportunity to be rehabilitated.

“There is a lot of talk about diabetes and heart attack... car accidents, these are things that cause persons without disabilities suddenly finding themselves with a disability.

So the CBR programme will include persons like doctors, psychologists, counsellors, caregivers, [and] would be able to counsel them as well and so persons with disabilities would be part of the programme as they would know the difficulties that are encountered. That would allow those persons to be reintegrated into society.”

Highlighting the packed schedule of events for the Month of the Disabled, which includes Special Olympics (Aquatics) today, he noted that the culmination will be the Barbados International Fair which will be held at Government House, under the patronage of Governor General Sir Clifford Husbands on March 27. (JH)’

Source: The Barbados Advocate, 8 March 2010