50 trees, one legacy: disability advocates plant hope along Barbados Trailway

A tree-planting ceremony marking 50 years of advocacy by the Barbados Council for the Disabled (BCD) brought together disability organisations, sports leaders and community partners on the Barbados Trailway at The Valley, St George, on Wednesday evening, blending environmental action with a message of inclusion.

The BCD’s 50th anniversary project involves the planting of 50 trees across the island by June next year, each recognising individuals and organisations that have contributed to the organisation over the years.

“This activity this evening symbolises inclusion,” BCD president Patricia Padmore-Blackman said. “It symbolises our commitment to inclusion, to hope, and our ability to continue on the road that we are on to find ways of including persons with disabilities and others.”

She told those gathered that the council was especially grateful for the presence of disability organisations and partners being honoured. “We honour you because of your invaluable contribution to persons with disabilities,” she said, adding that the council looked forward to “going from strength to strength” as the journey continued.

Padmore-Blackman also acknowledged the Barbados Trailway Project for its support and accommodation of the initiative, expressing hope that the collaboration would continue. “As we continue on this field, as we continue on this journey, that hope will fill our hearts,” she said.

President of the Paralympic Association of Barbados, Ryan Brathwaite, congratulated the council on reaching the milestone, describing 50 years as “a real legacy… something that has stood the test of time”.

Members of the Barbados Council for the Disabled, along with representatives of other organisations and community partners, plant one of 50 trees during a ceremony on the Barbados Trailway at The Valley, St George, on Wednesday, marking 50 years of advocacy by the council. (Photo Credit: Lauryn Escamilla)

He said the Paralympic Association was pleased to continue working alongside the council to champion disability sport. “This project is certainly one step that helps to spotlight disability sport and our organisations collectively,” he said, adding that the association was looking forward to working together “in 2026 and beyond”.

Acting National Director of Special Olympics Barbados, Roger Dyall, used the occasion to highlight the often unseen nature of some disabilities. “One of my athletes is always saying, ‘our disability is hidden’,” he said, recounting how people sometimes struggle to understand intellectual disabilities because they are not immediately visible.

Dyall stressed the importance of breaking down barriers. “It is very, very important for those persons with disabilities to be seen, to be heard, to have jobs and to be recognised in the community for their contribution,” he said, noting that athletes with disabilities “work hard” but are not always acknowledged.

Calling for stronger collaboration, he said, “We need to get together to form a partnership that will really work here,” describing the trailway as “the foundation of keeping persons’ environment healthy” and a space where people can exercise and belong.

Lead volunteer for the Barbados Trailway Project, Ralph Luther, said the trailway was designed to be more than physical infrastructure. “It only becomes alive when people start using it,” he said, noting that people of different abilities had long been “neglected or ignored” in Barbados.

“We’re trying to create a safe space and set standards for Barbados,” he said, encouraging users to provide feedback on accessibility so improvements could be made. “We want to lead by example.”

Director of the IncludeU Sports Academy, Akeem Rudder, said the initiative reflected why movement and opportunity were so important for persons with disabilities. He explained that the academy worked at the grassroots level to help children and adults access pathways into Special Olympics and Paralympic sport.

“I’m very happy that we can be a part of this initiative,” he said, expressing hope that more could be done in the years ahead.

BCD operations manager Roseanna Tudor explained that the tree-planting project was designed as a living legacy rather than a traditional award. “Instead of just having an award that people could put somewhere and forget about it, we’re leaving legacies,” she said.

Each tree, she explained, will carry a QR code detailing the history of organisations such as the Paralympic Association, Special Olympics Barbados and IncludeU Sports. “Anybody coming to the trailway will take a pause and have information shared with them,” she said.

Tudor said three mahogany trees have already been planted, with others recognising inclusive schools and individuals who supported the council’s work. The project is supported by partners including Kiwanis, Pride of Barbados and the Rotary Club of Barbados South, and will continue into next year, ending in June as the council’s anniversary year concludes.

“The legacy of all those persons who have made a difference to empower the lives of persons with disabilities will live on in the trees,” she said.

(LE)