Govt launches accessibility project at Parliament

The government is to begin a nationwide accessibility drive with an audit and improvement project at Parliament Buildings, as efforts intensify to give people with disabilities greater access to public spaces and a stronger voice in the development of legislation, Minister of People Empowerment Adrian Forde announced on Monday.

As a life skills programme for people living with autism was launched, Forde said the accessibility initiative, a collaboration with the Council for the Disabled, would begin with the Houses of Parliament before being expanded to government departments across the country.

“We have started a project in partnership with members of the Council for the Disabled to have an Access for All project, which will be officially launched in Parliament over the next couple of weeks,” Forde said.

The seat of Parliament was an appropriate place to begin because it is central to the development of legislation, he added. “We can’t have legislation for persons living with disabilities without equally ensuring that they have a voice, and a space where their voices can be recognised.”

An accessibility audit of the Parliament Buildings had already been completed, the minister said.

“So we are going to start with Parliament and then go across Barbados,” he said. “We have started the audit; I think the audit for Parliament has been completed, and we are going across government departments one at a time,” he said.

The minister said the project was part of a broader push towards an inclusive Barbados. He highlighted the government’s support for other disability initiatives, including a commitment to help fund a bus for people with disabilities.

Forde also used the occasion to challenge what he described as ignorance surrounding autism.

“This is not a tragedy. The tragedy is ignorance.” He said autism should be viewed as a challenge rather than a limitation and stressed that people living with autism could succeed in different areas of life.

“I would repeat that a hundred times until Barbados recognises that persons living with autism could excel just like any other person in Barbados.”

Forde said he had also kept a promise made in April to provide a recreational space for people living with autism. 

“The promise was simple for me: to be able to create a recreational space for persons living with autism so that they can go on swings and monkey bars and enjoy the benches in the recreational areas like everyone else.”

He continued: “I am happy that this government has made a commitment to ensure that the lives of persons with disabilities are given equal consideration.”

He also urged Barbadians to recognise that disability could affect anyone.

“It could be you; tomorrow it could be me. It just takes a split second for a person to be exposed to an incident.”

He called for greater understanding and support for people living with disabilities, saying they could become “the true champions of Barbadians”.

(LG)