BARNOD to host first fundraising walk

The Barbados National Organisation of the Disabled (BARNOD) will be hosting their inaugural fundraising walk event under the theme “Walk a mile in my shoes”, Saturday March 25, and encourages everyone to come out and participate in this unique event.
This was revealed by President of the organisation Colbert Ashby, during the press conference that was held at the Barbados Council for the Disabled on Thursday morning. Ashby revealed that this walk was unique because they were asking persons to come out either blindfolded, in a wheelchair or with a walker, so that for the duration of the walk, persons may be able to experience what it means to be differently-abled, and come to an understanding of what the disabled have to go through on a daily basis.
The President explained that BARNOD is an association that lobbies and caters to persons with disabilities through a number of different projects. He divulged that for the past three years they have been hosting job prep workshops that prepare persons coming out of tertiary and secondary institutions for the world of work. He noted that the workshops have been quite successful as 16 of the participants were able to go on six to eight week internship programmes.

He explained that the walk was to help enable them to continue working on these projects, and expressed that BARNOD is not an organisation strictly for the differently abled, but for all individuals who are in need of assistance. Through experience, he is hoping that persons will become more aware of the challenges that the disabled community encounter every day as well as be more willing to help and assist the
organisation in whatever small way they can.

Ashby explained that persons can register and donate $12 if they are under 12 and $20 for persons over the age of 12 at Barbados Family Planning or the Barbados Council for the Disabled. He added that if persons are not able to obtain a white or blue T-shirt from the Barbados Council for the Disabled they should still find a T-shirt in either white or blue and wear it to show support.

The President went on to say that there are a number of organisations in the country that help the disabled community which persons may not be aware of, and added that the walk which begins by the Clock Tower in the Garrison at 6 am and ends in Independence Square, will take a route to show off some of the different organisations like the National Disabilities Unit (NDU), The Association of the Blind and Deaf and Family Planning.