‘Joey’ wants laws abolished

PRESIDENT of the Barbados Council for the Disabled, Joey Harper, wants to see “all exclusionary laws limiting the capacity of disabled people to give testimony or otherwise partake in legal proceedings” abolished.
Harper, in highlighting the Access to Justice Project, which was designed years ago to cater to people with disabilities, said he wanted to see disabled provided with equal rights in the courtroom, be it by access to Braille, a sign language translator, provisions made for wheelchair users or even a seat on the jury.
The president stressed that it was also necessary for those representing/questioning the disabled to choose simpler terms to explain matters instead of using words they know would not be understood, before deeming disabled people intellectually incompetent.
“It is imperative for the legal justice system to be sensitized and trained in dealing with the various categories of disabilities.
“Lawyers need to be more informed, as do most [members] of the society,” Harper noted.
Highlighting the fact that disabled people were increasingly vulnerable to crime and abuse, Harper said most of them did not have routine access to information about their rights and did not know what legal recourse could be taken in such instances.