Barbados still has a lot of work to do with respect to the treatment of persons living with disabilities, says Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey.
Addressing the awards ceremony of the My Inclusive School Project, where four schools were recognised by the Barbados Council for the Disabled (BCD), at its Harambee Garrison headquarters, the Minister stressed that there was a lot insensitivity in the country and a tendency to treat others badly, especially those who are different.
Stating that people don’t recognise and respect diversity, he expressed concern about the treatment of children with disabilities and shared examples of how Barbadians are not caring enough for each other, whether on the bus or in other situations that may warrant their assistance.
Mr. Humphrey, however, thanked those in the fight, including the media, and noted all was not lost. He said: “It is quite clear to me that we have a lot of work to do but I also know that based on the number of persons who have been doing this work, day in, day out, so totally invested in it, that we have a counterbalance to the ignorance that prevails sometimes in Barbadian society and I want to thank all of you…. It is because of you that I know we will win this fight; it is because of you that I know we will make the progress that we need to make to be able to say that we have achieved something in Barbados.”
Four schools were awarded by the BCD, for their work, under the My Inclusive School Project, with their students with disabilities. They were the Olga Miller Nursery, St. Martin’s Mangrove Primary, St. Bartholomew’s Primary, and Harrison College.
President of the BCD, The Most Honourable Kerryann Ifill, in her remarks, reminded those gathered that early this year Phase One of the project was launched on April 4. She challenged them to open their minds and embrace children with disabilities and urged them “to witness the future of our fully accessible Barbados” as the My Inclusive School project represented another step forward in making Barbados “fully accessible”.
“It is a reminder to all of us that each day the number of students presenting with diverse needs and abilities is increasing and that we as a community must be in a position to respond to those needs,” said Ms. Ifill.
She added: “The programme will expose children to understanding that persons with disabilities… are part of this society; that their friends can be children with disabilities too; that their parents can have disabilities; that the person with whom they interact on the bus, in the office place [and] that their teachers and others, can have disabilities. It exposes the teachers to the understanding that when they welcome new students each year into their classrooms, they have to cater to students with diverse needs. The universal diverse learning plans, we must implement these across our school networks.”
Operations Manager of the BCD, Roseanna Tudor, noting the schools qualified for the award based on four criteria, said it was wonderful to see their commitment and efforts, and noted they addressed the needs of their students with disabilities.
The criteria set for the competition encouraged active involvement and fostering a creative and thoughtful approach to making educational institutions more inclusive.
“These schools, with the help of their dedicated teachers and Disability Awareness Day Ambassadors have demonstrated their commitment to supporting students with disabilities. They have conducted research and identified the areas where they can work together to create a better learning environment, not just for their current students but for future generations,” stated Ms. Tudor.