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DOORS OF ACCESS to the University of the West Indies (UWI) for disabled students have just opened wider. A new eight-seater van with wheelchair accessibility has been donated by the Maria Holder Memorial Trust. Student services manager Khaleid Holder said it was needed to ensure students with disabilities enjoyed the same level of access to university life. He added the new van replaced an aging vehicle that was prone to breaking down. “For us, one student missing a class was too much to bear. We were saddened. Simply put, education is indeed the most powerful way to change our world. This new vehicle enhances our accessibility and can help our students to change our world.” UWI Cave Hill principal, Professor Eudine Barriteau, called on Government to include disability accessibility among its proposed new electric buses to be added to the Transport Board’s fleet later this year. In thanking the trust for the van, she noted Cave Hill had been pursuing a policy of increasing access to disabled students since 1994, starting with a ramp at the main library, changing classes to ground level, investing in a lift at the 3Ws Pavilion, and addressing other measures for visually-and hearing-impaired students. Trustee with the Maria Holder Memorial Trust, Mary Brewster, said: “We know you are going to take care of this gift. This is not only for you but those coming after you.” (HH) Article compliments Nation News

Disabled Barbadians are begging employers to give them a piece of the jobs pie, president of the Barbados National Organisation of the Disabled Inc. (BARNOD), Colbert Ashby, has told Barbados TODAY. He said BARNOD was extremely concerned that members of the disabled community were finding it difficult to gain work, though many of them were highly qualified and able to perform effectively in the workplace. Though unable to give figures, Ashby said the percentage of jobless disabled people was too high not to notice. Ashby told Barbados TODAY: “We have a number of persons who have reached tertiary education level, but the only challenge that they have is that they have disabilities. So we want persons to be more sensitive to persons with disabilities who have highly qualified skills to work within the workforce.” Ashby highlighted the issue this morning during a press conference at Potters Centre in BIDC Building #2 on the Harbour Road, where he also acknowledged that the organisation was aware about the uncertainties of the economic climate, and the fact that people were being laid off in the public and private sector. But Ashby appealed to employers not to overlook the disabled but to give them the opportunity to show that they, too, can make a meaningful contribution to the workforce. He said; “Disability doesn’t mean inability. We have a member who has a degree in Public Sector Management from the University of the West Indies. He has completed that course many years ago and was unable to acquire a job. He was fortunate enough to attend two internships and he had an experience that I am sure he wouldn’t forget. “We have been encouraged to study. I think just recently, the results of the CXCs where persons of disabilities have sat, they got back very good results from those programmes. They may have a physical disability, but intellectually their brains are still working, and they may be able to utilize that brain within society that can be worthy to any employer.” At the news confererence, Swayne Brown, a Lodge School old scholar who has held a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Sector Reform since 2009, told reporters of his applying for several vacancies the over years. Brown said he was called to a few interviews but had not been successful. Brown told reporters: “I am still trying. All you can do is to try your best, and hope that somebody sees my talent, and not my disability. Don’t look at my disability; look at my talent and what I can do to help your organization and also to give back to my country Barbados. That is all I want. I want to be independent.” BARNOD announced “Walk A Mile In My Shoes”, a March 30 event designed to sensitise Barbadians about people with disabilities. Proceeds from the early-morning walk, scheduled to start at 6 a.m. at the Clock Tower, Garrison, St Michael, and end at Independence Square, are going to assist people with disabilities. Entertainer Anderson “Blood” Armstrong, who pledged support for the walk, encouraged Barbadians to support the initiative. “We need to be not insensitive about their needs and their situations. They are people just like us. So come out and support,” Armstrong said. Writer and comedian Eric Lewis said this would be his third year supporting the walk and encouraged the public to buy the event’s T-shirts. “We will be sensitising people to some of the challenges the disabled community face on a daily basis. You don’t have to be disabled to take part in the walk. Come out in your groups from your work places,” Lewis said.

THE fans who stayed away missed a treat. Wheelchair bodybuilding made a rousing, historic first appearance in Barbados at the season opening Flex Championships on Saturday night at the Derrick Smith Vocational School in Jackmans, St Michael. Exemplying courage and defying all odds, the wheelchair competitors, spearheaded by a razor-sharp Randy Mathurin, stole the spotlight at the three-dimensional event which also showcased the Mr and Miss Fit Model along with the programme opening Children’s Fitness. Mathurin, who caught the attention of the audience with his rock-hard back and bulging tri-ceps, may have been the headline act, but this was a night that will be remembered for the steely resolve of the 11 wheelchair entrants, three of them female.  Article by Mike King Compliments Nation News

First time visitor to Barbados Earl Broad, is a wheelchair user who wanted to escape the bitter cold of the U.K. He decided to take a trip to the Caribbean and sought the advice of his Travel Agent who suggested he stay at the Hilton in Barbados as this was the only island of the three Earl had in mind where he could possibly enjoy an accessible vacation. Excited about his upcoming trip, Earl decided to do more research so he could plan his stay! He was delighted to discover the Fully Accessible Barbados website and even more so when he saw our beach wheelchair! Right away he sent us an email requesting details  and booked it for three days in advance. Once he arrived he loved the experience so much he booked the chair for another two days because as he said “I live close to sea and I would love to have something like this so I can get into the water where I live, so this is a great experience for me.” On hearing this, we asked if we could meet Earl to learn  about his experience using the chair. During this chat we got further insight into his overall view of his vacation and the island. “I love the sunshine” Earl told us.  We could tell, he was lightly sunburned from head to toe. “I actually prefer to go into the sea only when the sun is shining full blast”, continued Earl. Earl was here with his caretaker John Butterworth who told us “we’re having  a great time, we visited Bathsheba, St. Nicholas Abbey, we took in some Cricket at the Oval, there were three other persons in wheel -chairs there which we thought was great, of course the beach is lovely, we’ve walked into Bridgetown to do some shopping and that was an adventure as Earl had to drive his automated wheel chair in the road since the sidewalks are non existent.” Earl added “At first it was a bit scary as I was literally driving in traffic, but the people were quite nice and gave me a wide berth, eventually I did get accustomed, but this is definitely one thing I would like to see changed – wide safe sidewalks to roll on into Bridgetown would be a great benefit.” Earl and John would have travelled the road along Bay Street from the Hilton Hotel to reach Bridgetown. Had it not been for the FAB beach wheelchair, Earl would never had been able to enjoy the ocean as the hotel owned beach wheelchair had been damaged by previous guests and had not yet been repaired. However we are happy to report that upon learning that Earl rented the Beach wheelchair from the Barbados Council for the Disabled, the Hilton  reimburse him for the cost of the rental. Earl is just one visitor who has been to Barbados with a disability, who despite a couple hiccups was able to enjoy the island but would love to see some infrastructural changes implemented which will make using our island’s amenities easier. Things like wide sidewalks, accessible ramps and slopes, accessible doorways, lowered door handles in public places, more affordable (public) accessible transportation, these are all a few things which play an integral part in making a “Fully Accessible Barbados” vacation possible. When we left him Earl was headed to Surfside Restaurant on the west coast. John was looking forward to trying their Rum Punch – “Go John, that Rum Punch REALLY packs a Punch!”