‘After all, we are people too’

SCORES of disabled persons stressed yesterday that they are not as disabled as Trinidad and Tobago thinks.

They sent home the message at the second annual convention of the Trinidad and Tobago Chapter of  Disabled Peoples International (DPI) held at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya. By way of posted signs at the Centre of Excellence auditorium, the disabled’s needs read: “Equal Transpsort for All”; “We want a chance, not Charity”; “We demand our Equal Rights”; “U2 Can become Disabled”; “Full Citizenship is all We ask” and “Let us Aspire Together.”

From the rostrum, former Minister of Health, Dr Emmanuel Hosein, himself a disabled, presented the demands of the disabled in a broad way. He made it clear that all persons with disabilities should receive an education. Special schools like the Princess Elizabeth Centre for Handicapped Children and the School for the Blind should be supervised and assisted by the Ministry of Education, and specific schools in pre-determined locations should be identified so that a broad-based intake of students can be accommodated. Hosein thought that disabled persons should be encouraged to become entrepreneurs and should not be subjected to discrimination of any kind.

The disabled also want housing, public transportation, health rehabilitation, sports and recreational facilities as well as insurance coverage.  All the demands have been sent to the government, through the Prime Minister, explained Dr Hosein. One speaker at yesterday’s meeting said no area of national life should function without the disabled.  “After all, we are people too,” he added. Another speaker thought that the disabled should be allowed to own and drive vehicles. One physically handicapped person was sure that the government and other people do not like to deal with persons with disabilities. “They feel that we are a burden to society,” he added.