EDITORIAL: We must be fair to all

There have been repeated calls over the years for legislation to be enacted locally to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities (PwD) are not encroached upon, and while several initiatives have been pursued, including the 2002 White Paper on Persons with Disabilities and the signing and ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (both used to guide local policy), we have fallen short of actually bringing legislation into effect.

 

As we understand it, Barbados’ ratification of the Convention in February, 2013 meant that the country was bound by the international agreement to, among other things, enact and have proclaimed laws which would be geared towards promoting, protecting and ensuring the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by all PwD in this island. Now, it has been almost four years since that Convention was ratified, and we feel it is imperative that steps are taken to bring the relevant laws into effect and ensure that no one who is disabled is put at a disadvantage in this country, and are instead allowed to reach their fullest potential.

 

The absence of such legislation means that at present we rely on moral suasion and it has done some good, but there can be no denying that legislation is needed to absolutely ensure that any person who has a disability can fully and effectively participate in society, such that they have equal access to education, health care, employment, etc. Additionally, it would ensure that there is full accessibility for persons with disabilities to the nation’s built and natural environment – all things that able-bodied persons perhaps take for granted.

 

But, a fact that we must all face is that any one of us can become disabled at any time, through accidents, ill health or some form of trauma. It is as simple as a person losing their sight, a limb, or their ability to walk or even speak due to a chronic non-communicable disease. And, with high incidences of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease in this country, that possibility is unfortunately a very real one.

 

In that vein, an area that needs some attention is PwD having access to sidewalks. Indeed, some pavements have been made bigger so that persons using wheelchairs and walking aids can manoeuvre better, but there are still a few cases where access points to sidewalks are lacking, making it sometimes impossible for PwD to utilise them. Furthermore, there remain too many roads that do not have sidewalks, forcing them into the path of oncoming traffic.

 

Another major cause for concern is that there is no legislation to date to prohibit able-bodied persons from parking in the reserved disabled parking spaces. We applaud the Barbados Council for the Disabled for promoting the Parking ID, but the relevant authorities need now to give those IDs legitimacy, because far too often able-bodied persons can be seen parking in such spaces, forcing a person who really needs the spot to park elsewhere. Instances like those should strengthen the resolve of the authorities to put the requisite legislation in place to prosecute persons who have little or no regard for the disabled community.

 

A point that must also be noted is that given that there is no legislation regarding the designated handicap parking spaces, they often vary in terms of quantity in each parking lot and in terms of size. These are certainly areas that the much promised amendments to the Road Traffic Act could address and it is hoped that these concerns have been considered.