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Barbados Council for the Disabled
Article URL: http://www.barbadosdisabled.org.bb/pages/news/President_s_Message_-_International_Day_for_the_Di_2.php
President's Message - International Day for the Disabled It gives me great pleasure to address you on this years celebration of International Day for the disabled. NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT us. We want to make International day of the disabled a lasting experience. I would like to begin by asking you a few general questions. Would a medical practitioner consult with and examine your best friend to make an assessment of your medical problems? Would your architect consult with your neighbour on the design of your home or discuss your particular design requirements with your friend? Would the Barbadian community accept another CSME partner deciding the policies for Barbados with no opportunity for Barbadian representatives to participate in the process? Would the waitress ask your friend if you would like a drink? If you answered yes to any of these questions the likelihood is that you have a disability. �Nothing About Us Without Us� is the theme adopted this year by the United Nations for the International day for the Disabled. The theme reinforces the need for inclusion RESPECT and genuine consultation and puts on the agenda the challenges of equality and inclusion of persons with disabilities. There is no doubt that there is a climate of change in Barbados and some individuals from both the public and private sector are making efforts to provide services as well as an accessible environment, however, with very few exceptions, there continues to be exclusion of persons with disabilities from the decision making processes and as a result a number of good intentions go wrong. I would like to use one example; recently, a friend with a disability was given a warning by a police officer because he had parked in a disabled bay. The officer maintained that only drivers using wheelchairs could use a disabled bay. His intentions were indeed good and we are pleased that police officers are beginning to take action, but disabled parking bays are intended for persons with mobility problems and not just for wheelchair users. The lack of consultation, clear policies and training can lead to unnecessary challenges for all concerned. The lack of consultation and inclusion extends to other service providers, the attitude of staff is, we are the professionals governed by confidentiality and as trained, paid professionals we know what is best. What is generally not taken into account is that persons with disabilities are the experts on their own needs and unlike other groups in our society we are not represented in the work force in positions that can influence change. Today we are promoting integration and in doing so will be showcasing the talents and abilities of persons with disabilities. We will be hosting CandoCo an internationally acclaimed dance company from England. CandoCo challenges the preconceptions surrounding dance and disability, they have succeeded in opening up the whole area of dance exploration and have paved the way for persons with disabilities, encouraging equality with able-bodied peers at every level within the field of contemporary dance. The members of the company represent a cross section of disabilities including wheelchair users, the hearing impaired and amputees as well as able-bodied dancers. Celeste Dandeker, FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC Director, was a professional dancer who had an accident on stage and became paralyzed; her vision was to continue her involvement in the world of dance. She was able to maintain her contact with her career, with a change of emphasis. Although some members of CandoCo have restrictions on their mobility, the environment in which they live has not limited them. They have been able to pursue their dreams because of legislation, physical access to buildings and accessible transportation. Like CandoCo members, some of our members are reaching out and pursuing their dreams. Over the past two days CandoCo members held workshops for children and adults at the National Cultural Foundation and at some of our schools. From the inception we had strong interest from teachers and students. There were participants from Challenor School, All Saints, Eagle Hall, Ellerton, Rock Christian, St Mathews, Children Development Centre, Charles F Broom, Erdiston, Ann Hill and the Irvin Wilson School. Unfortunately the children from the Learning Centre was unable to participate, they have their Christmas concert tomorrow evening where they will showcase their talent. There is no doubt that the dance workshops generated a great deal of enthusiasm in our young people. We now have to work to harness that enthusiasm and not let them down. May be we have some budding NIFCA performers. Included in the dance workshops were some of Barbados�s leading dance instructors, thank you for accepting the challenge of inclusion and participating in our programme of activities. Today we look forward to the participation of Patrick Forde, who is our very own role model. I cannot conclude without saying a very special thank you to UNICEF, Chasemidway, Rosco Tees, Impact, and the media for helping us to promote the concept �nothing about us without us�. Thank you all for accepting the challenge and promoting inclusion of persons with disabilities, we look forward to the next stage of the process. Boneta Phillips President Barbados Council for the Disabled |