THIS MONTH should be special for members of the disabled community in Barbados. This is the period when there is renewed focus on them and their circumstances. But we should not expect major improvements in their situation if the spotlight is there only for March.
Thankfully, an increasing number of Barbadians and institutions are paying greater attention to the disabled. Hopefully, the dedication of the month to celebrating and building awareness of the disabled will lead to greater acceptance and integration.
Historically, the wide range of disabilities that afflict many people were not seen as birth defects, but rather as divine punishment. That misguided and narrow-minded view has, unfortunately, informed the way we have treated our differently abled, ranging from the deaf mute to even the blind. Some people with physical and psychological disabilities were chained or barricaded in buildings like animals. What disdainfully inhumane treatment!
Today the problem persists even though in different ways. Many Barbadians further disadvantage the disabled by parking in spaces allocated for them, while accessibility to some sidewalks and buildings remains a challenge. What is even more disturbing is to hear people who should know better criticise efforts to help the disabled and refer to them in derogatory terms, such as “invalids”.
We are fortunate not to have a large military involved in front-line combat. This has spared us from having many of our men and women going to battle only to return with all sorts of disabilities – physical as well as psychosocial.
We need to understand and appreciate that a disability is not just a physical, mental or intellectual defect from birth. It can happen overnight as a result of an accident and place us in a similar situation. This may be why we have a discomfort with people with disabilities.
With some 11 546 disabled people among our population of 277 821 based on the 2010 Census, we cannot continue with mostly lip service towards this segment of our society but must act to effect change for their betterment. They have every right to work, study, travel abroad and be treated with respect and dignity as they are encouraged to live independent and productive lives.
This country must become fully accessible to the disabled in homes, at work, schools and in recreational spaces. The remaining barriers to equal opportunity must be removed.
The evidence is there as to what members of the disabled community can do and achieve. Social justice demands that we reach out to them to ensure meaningful and genuine inclusion – each and every day of the year. The hope for a better tomorrow must not be a one-month exercise. After all, they are Barbadians all year round.
