At least one member of the disabled community believes it is taking too long for the new offices at Collymore Rock, St Michael, to be opened.
Errol Hurley, former public relations officer of BARNOD, in chastising the Ministry of Social Care for not sharing “one” iota of information with them in respect of the opening date, said that it had become necessary to make his views public.
Hurley, 62, and blind, made his position known as he spoke passionately on Down To Brass Tacks on Friday.
March is recognised as the Month Of The Disabled and the theme this year is An Accessible Future Is A Sustainable Future.
Hurley’s position was shared by Roseanna Tudor, operations manager of the Barbados Council for the Disabled, who told the Sunday Sun it had taken “quite a long time for it to be completed”.
“We had no say in the securing of the building, but we made some recommendations when we were initially shown it, and the ministry assured us that it would try to accommodate our requests. But we are still waiting to see if our recommendations were met.
“We have been sending letters asking for information as to when the building would be completed, but we have not received any response thus far,” Tudor said.
Construction started three years ago on the building.
However, Minister of Social Care Steve Blackett, in responding to the charges, said the National Disabilities Unit building was more than 95 per cent completed.
“The contractor assured me that it would have been handed over by the end of April. It’s not my fault that it is not finished. We have to wait the process out. I made a site visit and took along members of my staff and members of the disabled community,” Blackett said.
“I am striving to provide proper accommodation for them rather than having them trekking up stairs at the National Union of Public Workers, where they are presently located,” the minister added.
“I again visited the offices two weeks ago and was assured that building would be delivered by that time [April].”
But Hurley said he saw it as his responsibility to represent people who were unable to represent themselves.
He said BARNOD had asked for meetings with Blackett but had received no response.
“We were told that the air conditioning unit was the only thing to be sorted out; everything else was finished. In 2017, I asked what was the problem that it was not completed as yet. Last year November the minister said everything should be finished and staff should move in by December 2017. We are still waiting,” Hurley said. (JB)
