May Marked the beginning of history for persons with disabilities when GOB first introduced the disabilities Bill. Two months later, the Disabilities Bill was taken back to the house for passage to legislate and mandate that adequate provisions and infrastructure must be installed for persons with disabilities.
AND today the governor general signed the Belize Disability Act into law to commemorate the international day of persons with disabilities. The Minister of Human development who spearheaded the bill told us today that one of the key areas of focus on the bill is ensuring accessibility to public buildings and transportation.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development
"As we know, the national assembly building itself has been completely gutted now for a full renovation so that they can put in an elevator for example. I will never forget you know the day when we had the first and second readings of the disability legislation there was a lady who had to drag herself. She had to actually drag her herself into the national assembly and then be put back into the wheelchair in the gallery but it brought tears to my eyes. I myself have had the experience you know of not having that access to buildings so that is one practical change that definitely will come, but we also have an inter ministerial task force looking at how we can bring into place some of the other practical changes for example, we are supporting the Ladyville police station. We are assisting them to put a ramp. For wheel chair access for somebody coming to the station for whatever reason so I think that not only the awareness but also making sure we walk the walk of making our citizens more able to have that mobility."
Balderamos says that while the Bill is meant to ensure public accessibility to all disabled persons she says that they also acknowledged that not every business will be able to abide. We asked her who these changes would apply to and why.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development
"Let's be practical we are not asking a Panades shop to put in a ramp but we are asking Bowen and Bowen, the Roe group of companies I'm just pulling it out already many of them have that access you know but again what we are saying is make sure and make a double check you know and like I said it is the larger companies who will be able to afford to make those changes so we are not expecting the Panades shop to put in a ramp, but we are saying for example, because I am a politician here for example, the elections and boundaries office needs to be on the ground floor of a building because you cannot expect somebody who is in a wheelchair or has another form of disability to be going all the way upstairs as a matter of fact we took a person from La Demorcacia who is in a wheelchair to register the other day and we made sure that the access was there and the elections and boundaries office in Ladyville were very accommodating."
Existing public premises will be given 12 months after the commencement of the law, to make adjustments to their premises to facilitate accessibility for persons with disabilities. Failure to comply will be an offense.
