BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - AFTER years of having their requests ignored, the St. Kitts-Nevis Association for Persons with Disabilities (SNAPD) has won an important battle for its members with the installation of accessibility ramps at the St. Kitts General Post Office.
Two ramps to aid in the access of the Post and Parcel Offices by persons living with disabilities were recently constructed, and SNAPD President Anthony Mills said he was happy for the “small achievement”.
“After almost two years of lobbying the government, they have finally built wheelchair accessible ramps at the post office and parcel post. We are hoping that this is the first of many public buildings that will be made accessible in the years to come,” he said.
In a previous interview with SKNVibes, Mills said that making buildings within St. Kitts-Nevis accessible to everyone is an equal right that could no longer be ignored by the public and private sectors.
“Nobody seems to see it as important because the mentality around the Federation is, ‘well, you’re disabled. Just go and somebody is going to take care of you’. Maybe that was cool back in 1920 or something, but this is 2009 and it’s not cool now.
“We want access to government buildings and business places because there is a provision in the Building Code for this, but right now it is not mandatory. We are hoping to see it made mandatory so that it can be enforced. I am pretty sure most contractors don’t even know it is in the Building Code,” he said.
The construction of the ramps is especially important this month, which has been declared by SNAPD and the St. Kitts Society for the Blind to be “Disability Awareness Month”.
“As advocates of disability rights, we are concerned that a large part of our society is unfriendly and discriminating towards persons with disabilities. We intend to use this month to begin to reduce the stigma against persons with disabilities so they may be viewed and treated as equals,” a joint release from the organisations stated.
The month includes a number of activities aimed at heightening the public’s awareness of crucial equal rights issues. Foremost are visits to the Tucker Clarke Primary School, Sandy Point High School and Cayon High School this week, as well as a televised panel discussion on ZIZ at 8:30 p.m. this Thursday (May 14).
Additionally, persons of the general public are being encouraged to attend a Social Fun Night hosted by SNAPD this Saturday (May 16) at the St. George’s Anglican Church on Victoria Road, which is aimed at “bridging the communication gap” between persons living with disabilities and the community at large.
