Boost for people with disabilities

What to know

• Finance Minister Ryan Straughn announced new financial, accessibility and sports initiatives for people with disabilities.
• Key projects include an Accessible Bridgetown corridor linking the Elsie Payne Roundabout through Prescod Boulevard to downtown City streets
• A $100 monthly cost-of-living credit including children and adults for 12 months
• A special needs trust framework for parents and guardians to establish trusts for the long-term care and financial security of disabled children
• National Sports Council and non-profit All Access Water Sports to introduce adaptive aquatics for children and adults with disabilities 

People with disabilities across Barbados are expected to gain new mobility, financial and recreational opportunities under a set of Budget measures unveiled on Monday by finance minister Ryan Straughn, who pledged continued government commitment to accessibility and inclusion. 

“This government’s record with respect to persons with disabilities has been strong, especially in the midst of the crises we have faced,” he told Parliament.

The Ministry of Transport and Works will implement a pilot accessible corridor in Bridgetown to improve mobility and independence for persons with disabilities.

The project will create a fully accessible pedestrian pathway linking the Elsie Payne roundabout through Prescod Boulevard, Lower Broad Street, Broad Street and Bridge Street, with extensions into adjoining corridors.

Works will include rehabilitation of sidewalks, installation of kerb ramps, tactile paving and accessible crossings, and removal of barriers that prevent safe movement through the capital.

The project carries an estimated cost of $600 000.

The initiative seeks to remove long-standing barriers faced by many citizens, Straughn said.

“Too often, persons with disabilities are effectively excluded from our public spaces by infrastructure that was never designed with them in mind,” he said.

Effective April 1, all recipients of the special needs grant, including children and adults, will receive a $100 monthly cost-of-living cash credit for 12 months.

Straughn also announced plans to create a new legal framework to provide long-term financial security for persons with disabilities.

A special needs trust framework will be introduced from April 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

The measure will allow parents and guardians to establish trusts for the long-term care and financial security of disabled beneficiaries.

Income and distributions used for the care of disabled persons will be exempt from personal income tax.

The framework will also clarify tax treatment for trustees administering such trusts.

Speaking as a father, the minister reflected on the concerns faced by families caring for children with disabilities.

“As the father of an autistic son, I can tell you the one thing parents of children with special needs fear is what will happen to our children when we inevitably pass,” he said.

The National Sports Council, working with the non-profit All Access Water Sports, will introduce an adaptive aquatics programme for children and adults with disabilities.

The initiative will provide inclusive swimming and kayaking instruction with specialised supervision and adaptive support.

The government has allocated $450 000 to support the programme.

Straughn said the initiative recognises the importance of water safety in a small island state.

“In a small island state like Barbados, swimming is not a luxury skill, it is a life-saving one,” he said.

He added that the programme will ensure that children with disabilities are not excluded from learning essential water safety skills and benefiting from the developmental opportunities offered by the marine environment.