Over the past years we have seen a significant development in the attitude of persons without disabilities to persons with disabilities, this is of course because they have been advocates who have fought to ensure that no one is left behind in the quest for our small but developed country to LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND.
It has not been easy, they are persons who left no stone unturned in ensuring that persons with disabilities were not left out of the mainstream of Barbadian society, Names that come to mind immediately are Peter Serieux and Clevedon Mayers, Peggy Inniss, Thelma Brathwaite, Dr. Bertie Graham, Jackie Banfield these are names that come to mind with little effort. They worked in an environment that was hampered by the myth that disabled persons were scripturally the victims of the sins of the fathers being passed on to innocent children.
We have come a long way since then and today we have seen that persons with disabilities can take their place in every aspect of life, in sports, politics, the church, education and business, with the same success that the abled community achieve. These gains are so exciting that persons like myself who have come in late in the development process, marvel at the gains made and the acceptance by the majority of our brothers and sisters who have accepted the challenges placed before them and excelled, I commend all of you who have faced the fiercest heat and stood out in your fields of endeavour.
Amidst all this there are still challenges and even though the gains have been many the reality is that we as human beings have been taught many times to understand that we are all our brothers keepers. Independent as we think we are there comes a time when whether abled or disabled we have to stretch forth our hand to someone for help, when we find ourselves in circumstances that we are incapable of surmounting without another’s assistance.
The world is also going through some serious changes, sometimes I wonder at how close the connection to life ad our environment is, we age and we change, the world is aging and also changing it is said hat for the first time in years to many to count here may be no ice this summer at the polar regions, these shifts in climate conditions will have an effect on our climate we must be prepared for some unusual occurrences and possible disaster situations.
This is the reason for this training program today, Barbados as you know is in an area that is subject to many possibilities for environmental as well as man made hazards. Barbadians have lived a charmed life, God has been good to us, however he has also shown us the possibilities that exist, to be quite honest with you we have not learned many lessons from our very near misses.
Some of us have already forgotten Arch Cot, and the series of accidents that occurred just a year ago, and strange as it may seem the recent earth tremor. We in Barbados are perhaps some of the most environmentally challenged persons in the world, we dispose of garbage and dead animals with an abandon that causes persons who are unaccustomed of disposing of garbage in gullies and along the street, to look on in wonder.
We ignore health warnings that literally beg us to be conscious of our water courses; we squat in designated water zones and dare anyone to move us, we indiscriminately light fires around wooden homes and dry grass and wonder how we have such high incidences of fires. Our Light and Power generating plant is built on a swamp land and almost in the sea. Most of our food supplies are stored in low lying areas, and fuel supply storage plants are in the same areas if I have to be honest this country as far as environmental problems are concerned is a disaster waiting to happen.
Barbadians continue to live under the false premise that the only disaster is a hurricane, Kick em Jenny is considered folk lore dah cahn happen heah not in dis country is ther refrain. Within the last ten years we have not had a major deluge, I remember a young footballer drowning on Queens Park pasture, of houses rushing through the gully on Bridge Road, and these were the times of dangerous weather patterns affecting our island.
Within recent months approximately five persons have either been burnt to death or seriously injured in house fires. Two major employment generating areas have been ravaged by yet to be determined cause; thank God that none of these incidences occurred when the factories were in full operation, panic kills more victims than the actual disaster, one will remember that the head of our major disaster preparedness organizations was nearly the victim of such a panicked crowd.
This is the reason that the Council has embarked on a training program to ensure that the public can be made aware of the needs of the most vulnerable in our society, the DISABLED.
In today’s world, early warning devices are always in place to ensure that the populace can have advanced warning, the science is not without flaws, but one thing is sure, the exact location of a disaster may not be easily identified but what is sure is that we must be prepared. If you live next to a cane field, please consider that we are subject to the possibility of a cane fire; and make the necessary preparations for the eventuality. If you live in a flood prone area please always be conscious of the fact that you could be flooded out and have a disaster evacuation plan prepared.
Our disabled community at times like this will need your help more than ever, plan with your disabled neighbour in mind, for you may be able to run away but the disabled person may be trapped in an area that escape would have been possible if only panic had not stepped in and a neighbour in saving his or herself, left a vulnerable member of our community to perish. If a cuddah, wuddah, shuddah does not cut it this sentiment is too late and the result could be one that one will have to live with for the rest of his/her life.
Planning is important, not alone the disabled community has a simple but profound axiom which they use NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US and this is what we are presenting this morning. Nothing about us without us; the Bible puts it more succinctly Isaiah 1:18 COME LET US NOW REASON TOGETHER. In order to ensure that every single one of us has the ability to survive a disaster we must understand how each of us thinks.
Man is a selfish being and the immediate reaction is to shout EVERY MAN FUH HE SELF this is a recipe for a true disaster.
Community plans must be put in place and practiced, in times of calm we must walk through our districts and seek out potential areas of weaknesses, we must not wait for the government to ensure that all is well, it will never happen, we must with the help of persons like Roy Ward see how we can help to improve accessibility to shelters hurricane or earthquake. The community must have a designated high ground medicine cabinet, the pharmacist is in business it is not his business to outfit your cabinet free of cost.
Remember that in people become disabled in disaster areas, feet are broken and amputated shattering glass have the ability to blind the one who was just helping a disabled friend you must be vigilant. Identify the strong swimmers in the community, the lifeguard and the priest in times of disaster the shout of OH GOD SAVE MUH! comes from the man or woman who a moment ago was using the foulest language.
Disaster preparedness is about people let us act like our brothers not for the medal for bravery, but for the right to say I did my part to help God in ensuring that his people are saved, comforted and given the chance to continue to be worthwhile citizens to do the duty that he has designated for them remembering always that "We will because we can!"
