MEMBERS of the Multiple Sclerosis Society were in The City yesterday in order to sensitise Barbadians on what they go through.
While most of the wheelchair users had a friend or family member to push them, some had mechanised chairs and gave first-hand accounts of the problems they face traversing Bridgetown.
“Last year we were on the South Coast and today we are in Bridgetown. We are here for a
two-fold purpose: to not only show the problems with the lack of proper ramps but also to show motorists that we don’t want to be in the road but when we are, we are there because we have no choice,” said president Lasonta Corbin.
The journey took the group from Parliament Yard and went through Broad Street, Prince William Henry Street, Swan Street, High Street and back to the precincts of Parliament.
Corbin said they usually did not have problems with pedestrians or motorists, who were usually understanding and accommodating, but added Bridgetown was still a tough place to travel for wheelchair users.
She identified the ramp on the sidewalk leading to Parliament as improperly built, and the lack of any ramp at all on Prince William Henry Street besides the top, meaning wheelchair users had to go along the road to get to Swan Street.
“We don’t want to cause an inconvenience but we need people to see,” said Corbin. (CA)
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