Kangaloo: More aid for disabled coming

GOVERNMENT yesterday succeeded in passing the Public Assistance (Amendment and Validation) Act 2004 and disclosed that broader legislation to address the concerns of physically disabled persons in Trinidad and Tobago is coming. In making the latter announcement in the House of Representatives, Social Services Delivery Minister Christine Kangaloo lambasted the UNC for alleging that Government was discriminating against the physically disabled. Kangaloo revealed that since returning to office in 2001, the PNM has spent a total of $70 million through a wide array of measures to help the physically disabled. She said these measures included increases in the medical assistance grant from $5,000 to $15,000 per month and the special child grant from $80 to $300 per month. The latter grant addresses the concerns of physically disabled persons under the age of 18. Kangaloo questioned why the UNC opposed Government’s efforts to widen the scope of persons able to benefit from the disability grant to include persons between the ages of 18 and 65.

She then disclosed that Government hopes to bring a Citizens With Disabilities Act to Parliament  by June and her Ministry is currently compiling a database containing the names of all physically disabled persons in the country. The Minister explained that, among other things, this information would be sent to the National Housing Authority to assist in the construction of special housing units for the physically disabled. She said the World Health Organisation indicated that ten percent of the population is physically disabled and not 15 percent as claimed by Chaguanas MP Manohar Ramsaran. She dismissed Ramsaran’s charges that Government was “importing” physically disabled persons into Trinidad and Tobago. The Minister reminded the Opposition that Government had also announced a scholarship scheme for persons with disabilities and the Public Transport Services Corporation had ordered five specially-equipped buses that could transport physically disabled persons. She said one such bus was already being used by her Ministry.

Kangaloo reminded the Lower House that it was the PNM and not the UNC which laid the policy to address the needs of the physically disabled. She told the Lower House that this policy was developed early in the tenure of the first Patrick Manning administration and laid in Parliament as a Green Paper on November 5, 1993. The Minister said Cabinet approved the policy in principle on July 7, 1994, but the policy hit “a dead end” afterwards in terms of implementation. She added that the UNC had no right to accuse the PNM of discriminating against physically disabled persons when it was the former regime which increased old age pensions but made no changes in the levels of assistance offered to the physically disabled. Chaguanas MP Manohar Ramsaran was heard grumbling throughout the Minister’s contribution. Naparima MP Nizam Baksh lamented that persons were not being properly trained to deal with the physically disabled. He suggested that retired doctors and nurses be hired to assist in training these individuals. Baksh claimed that physically disabled persons were being discriminated against and said Government should not ignore useful suggestions from the Opposition that could improve the type of assistance currently offered to physically disabled citizens.