Disabled Barbadians to be trained as certified accessibility assessors

Over a dozen members of the disabled community are set to become certified accessibility assessors, following specialised training that will allow them to work independently while identifying accessibility gaps across Barbados.

The training, involving 14 participants, is hosted by the Barbados Council for the Disabled (BCD) in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector under the Job Start Programme, in collaboration with Springboard Consulting.

Speaking at the opening session of the Universal Design and Accessibility Training for Persons with Disabilities at the BCD’s headquarters on Thursday, president of the BCD, Patricia Padmore-Blackman, said the initiative supports efforts to improve accessibility on the island.

She described the training as another step in the council’s long-standing advocacy work.

“As we begin the training on universal design under Fully Accessible Barbados, we welcome the opportunity to collaborate on this important initiative, which directly supports national efforts to advance accessibility, inclusion and universal design principles in Barbados,” Padmore-Blackman said.

“What we are doing here is more than just learning new skills. It’s about preparing ourselves for possibilities, unlimited possibilities of employment, independence and growth. It’s about building confidence and opening doors so that each person can step forward, ready to contribute and thrive.” 

Operations manager at the BCD, Rosanna Tudor, explained that the programme is designed to train persons with disabilities, and those who work with them, to professionally assess buildings and spaces.

“This is a programme that the minister has been really pushing to ensure persons with disabilities are trained so they can be self-employed and work as professionals. At the end of the day, when you assess a building, you go to a professional who knows what is needed. Our members are going to become trained assessors,” Tudor explained.

Describing the initiative as taking place at a pivotal moment in Barbados’ development, Minister of Labour Colin Jordan stressed that universal design requires a shift in thinking, not just policy.

He said inclusive workplaces prevent talent from being overshadowed by poor design.

“When we hear the term universal design, we may immediately think about elevators, ramps or signs with braille. But when we speak of universal design, we are talking not just about meeting the needs of a specific group of people, but reaching and addressing the needs of all people, everybody.

“Universal access means treating people like people. It also allows businesses and organisations that employ people to tap into a broader talent pool because there is sense, there’s intelligence, there is knowledge right across the spectrum of human endeavour and human beings,” Jordan said.

“So, regardless of physical differences or sensory differences, universal design allows employers to tap into a wider pool of persons. It also increases productivity and it also fosters loyalty.”

Jordan said universal design benefits the entire society, using the example of curb cuts on sidewalks.

“That cut in the sidewalk is not just for a wheelchair user. It also helps the visitor pulling a suitcase, the mother with a stroller, the delivery worker with a trolley, and even someone who simply needs easier access,” he explained.

He also highlighted the wider benefits of captioning videos, noting that it assists not only persons who are deaf or hearing-impaired, but students in noisy environments and those for whom English is not a first language.

Chief executive officer of Springboard Consulting, Nadine Vogel, said the session will focus on the practical application of universal design beyond the built environment.

“We want to make sure that accessibility works for individuals with physical disabilities, hearing or vision challenges. It doesn’t matter, universal design is for everyone. 

“When you leave, you will all walk out with checklists that you can take with you when you go and assess these organisations to ensure that you’re looking at every aspect of the universal design,” Vogel said.