Same struggle by physically challenged

THE EDITOR: I’ve been physically challenged for the past three and a half years. Sadly, I never saw the needs of the physically challenged before, but now they appear glaring. What strikes me is that the struggle of the physically challenged in Trinidad and Tobago now is similar to the struggle of the civil rights movement in America in the 50s and 60s. Many of you would remember or recall with horror that there were signs in public places in the US barring dark-skinned people and dogs from entry. Today in TT there are no signs forbidding the physically challenged from entering public places but the physical structures of the buildings scream the message. You can be sure that we get it. We look in disbelief at the film clips of dark-skinned people sitting or standing at the back of a bus when seats were available in front. In 2003, in TT, the physically challenged cannot even get on a bus.

Those who advocated segregation in schools in the US made the assumption that dark-skinned children did not have the intelligence of those who were fair-skinned. Today it seems in TT we believe that all physically challenged children are mentally challenged and can only attend a few selected schools which may be out of their geographical area. Back in the 50s and 60s in America, dark-skinned people could not live in certain areas. Today in TT where are the housing facilities for the physically challenged? In our own country in the 70s many reasons were given for the political uprising that took place including the fact that dark-skinned people were mostly given menial jobs (except perhaps for the Public Service). Today in TT our Government sees Goodwill Industries as the answer to employment for the physically challenged — in other words, they see us as only being able to contribute by doing handicraft and other related things.

Many organisations and other enterprises see us as unemployable because their buildings lack the facilities — ramps, bathrooms etc — which cater to us. Job descriptions may assume that everyone has his or her five senses and can walk. Sadly, in the earlier years those who demonstrated for their civil rights were accosted by the police. Today we read of the police accosting the physically challenged when they are unarmed and cannot even stand to defend themselves. Citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, we are allowing the same thing that happened to a group of people some years ago to happen to another group in our society today. Your silence is deafening. Your complacency is astounding in the face of injustice to this marginalised group in society. We need all of you to help us in this fight for equality for the physically challenged. Wear a red bow in support of our cause. Stop on Wrightson Road to give support and words of encouragement to the people there. Join the fight and stand up literally for justice for us.

Elizabeth Borely
Petit Valley