Apartheid for the disabled

THE EDITOR: In the absence of laws and protective policies, the disabled are at the mercy of society who would be in a position of power to choose whether to continue to discriminate against the disabled or whether to exploit them. And as we all know quite often the darkness within man’s heart often prevails against the light. Legislation needs to be passed to ensure fair and reasonable employment practices, full access to public buildings and all educational institutions; not to mention transportation and public housing. These demands on the powers that be are fair, they are reasonable and they are the rights of all citizens of our beloved nation.

The present plight of the disabled citizens of Trinidad and Tobago is essentially no different from the plight of the non-white people under apartheid when it existed in South Africa. The same factor is present in both instances. A people are being denied their rights because of their external features. The disabled are being judged based on their disabilities and not on their abilities. And this is wrong! Are we as a nation going to continue to condone apartheid? Are we willing to say that it is a right for the strong to oppress the weak? But we must not allow this to continue. We must rise up and shake off these chains of tyranny. The people of this nation must say with one resounding voice, “Enough is enough.” A change must come and it must come now. We must work together with the disabled community to bring about real change in the spirit of our national motto, “Together we aspire, together we achieve.”

WAYNE NARANJIT
Champs Fleurs