Disability Access News

Saturday, December 6 2008

SEVERAL DISABLED persons on motorised wheelchairs could not join in yesterday’s closing ceremony for Disabled Awareness Week on Harris Promenade in San Fernando due to the height of the promenade’s edge from the road.

The angry disabled persons are calling on San Fernando Mayor Kenneth Ferguson and the San Fernando Corporation (SFCC) to make the area more user friendly for disabled persons.

“We still can’t come up (on the promenade) to participate in activities. The promenade is not useable,” complained chairman of Combined Disabilities of Trinidad and Tobago, Harrilal Singh, 60.

He pointed to the six inch edge of the promenade which made it impossible for wheelchair-bound persons to access the promenade by themselves. Harrilal said he felt disenchanted with the treatment meted out to the disabled in San Fernando.

“I like to go about and participate in activities, but apparently no thought was given to people on wheelchairs who want to use the promenade when it was constructed,” Harrilal said.

Another man, Premnath Samaroo, 48, from San Fernando said it was dangerous to raise the front of wheelchairs too far off the ground since the chair might capsize backwards causing injury to the person sitting.

Samaroo positioned his chair behind a parked vehicle to view the parade of performers because he too could not access nearby chairs and tents placed along the promenade.

Corporation CEO Marlene Coudray said she was aware of the situation. “There is a ramp at the back of the bandstand for wheelchairs. But I saw for myself yesterday that motorised chairs cannot access the promenade from the front,” Coudray said.

She said the SFCC did not build the promenade and said it was a project of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott).

However, she said meetings were held with the Disability Unit months ago and work will start on a ramp for motorised wheelchairs next week.

Incidentally, the week long celebration was to raise public awareness of the different issues facing the disabled.

“Over 25 Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) turned out for the launch of the Disabled Awareness Week on the Brian Lara Promenade,” said Angela Edwards, the Director of Disabilities Affairs Unit in the Ministry of Social Development.