PHILIPSBURG:----When we look around us on the streets of St. Maarten or in our work environment we hardly ever see someone who is physically or mentally handicapped. No people in wheelchairs, visually impaired people or otherwise physically/mentally limited people. Don’t they exist? Unfortunately, there are many people in St. Maarten who are not as mobile as the most of us. But why don’t we see them?
Many of our sidewalks are in a deplorable state (if there are any sidewalks available), many businesses and (government) institutions are not wheelchair friendly or set up in a way that wheelchairs can pass through a door or are easy to find for the visual impaired. Workplaces often are not set up in a way that a less physically/mentally able person can make him or herself useful. This most of the time limits the less able persons to earn a living to provide for their selves. Not because someone cannot walk or see means that they cannot be productive.
We tend to look at government to solve everything. Government sure has a role to play in setting up the right infrastructure and setting up workplaces in a way that makes it possible to hire less able persons. Businesses and other institutions also need to be open to hiring people who are physically or mentally handicapped and make the place of business more accessible. Last, but not least, it is the people who need to be more considerate. A simple example is the parking spot for the physically handicapped. No healthy person has any business parking in any of such spots, yet if you take the time to look around you will see that those spots are always taken by those who those spots are not meant for.
In this modern day and age it should not be so that a large group of people is left out, simply because the rest of us are too busy thinking about ourselves. It is about time that government, the private sector and we, The People, take into account those who are physically and mentally handicapped. Not only by having institutions in place where they are dropped off for the day, but to provide chances to have them included in our society and have them participate in our daily lives.
Sjaoel “Shooz” Richardson President Soualiga Social Movement
