PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake acknowledges Tuesday, 3rd December as International Day of Persons with Disabilities under the theme, "Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive society and development for all."
Over one billion people, or approximately 15 per cent of the world's population, live with some form of disability. Around the world, persons with disabilities face physical, social, economic and attitudinal barriers that exclude them from participating fully and effectively as equal members of society.
"On this day we should celebrate the contributions made by persons with disabilities as agents of change and development in the communities wherever they live.
"We recently hosted the Physically Challenged & Wheelchair Tennis Tournament initiated by Top Promotion Foundation and executed by Top Promotion Committee Be Able. At the same time they created awareness in order to break barriers and open doors. My Ministry is working to implement disability-sensitive policies.
"I am a proponent for removing all types of barriers, and to realize the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in society and shape the future of development for all, both as beneficiaries and agents," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Monday, on the eve of the international day.
Minister Lake has instructed his Ministry VROMI to review the building code and draft regulations that would lead to future projects having facilities and access that are 'disable friendly' to persons with a disability.
"I would like to see an accessibility audit carried out with respect to the infrastructure of government facilities, semi-government companies, organizations and institutions. We need to start somewhere and government must start from within and play a leading role by making our buildings more accessible for the physically disabled and senior citizens.
"As a man of action, I have already informed my Ministry to start advising any new developer of large buildings or new infrastructure to start putting in their plan accessories for the disabled and senior citizens," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake pointed out on Monday.