Bad Road

I live in the Chatham community which is part of the electoral district of Point Fortin and our Member of Parliament is The Honorable Major General (Retired) Edmund Dillon. Now, I think that Chatham should be renamed to a name which fits its present condition, something like Pot Hole Lane, Damage Your Car Avenue or Ignored by the Member of Parliament Drive because the road from Chatham to Point Fortin is like a driving test except if you fail this test, you will find yourself spending hundreds to thousands of dollars replacing tyres and other car parts. Yesterday, my mother had to change a tyre after going into a pot hole. I would love to know why did my mother who is in her 70s had to spend hundreds of dollars out of her pension to replace a tyre. A word of advice to all political parties, you do not have many die-hard voters anymore. It is work for your seat time.

This is the way I use my phone

We Are Still Waiting

I am Tyron Bishop, I live in the Chatham community. Our Community Centre was officially opened in May, 2015. I attended the opening ceremony although I had to be carried up the flight of stairs to get to the auditorium which is located on the second floor because the Minister at the time said that installing the elevator in the empty shaft was "a waste of time, a waste of money and a lot of inconvenience." The Government changed in September, 2015. The change in Government brought hope of the elevator being installed or some other logical way of making the second floor of our Community Center accessible to persons in wheelchairs and those with other mobility issues but nothing has been done to date, therefore, I still have to be carried up the flight of stairs in order to attend anything being held in the auditorium. One question: Am I wrong to think that the present Government has Persons with Disabilities on the counter as well? Yes, I Said counter because we do not even get to the back burner.

Three Years Later

I am sitting here wondering what advancement has been made to improve the lives of Persons with Disabilities in the last three years, I cannot say that there have been much. We are still the forgotten/ignored community. Imagine, our Government still holds press conferences without a Sign Language interpreter, the Chatham Community Centre among other public facilities are still not fully wheelchair accessible and nobody gives a..... disability about it.

Chatham Community Centre empty elevator shaft

The Chatham Community Centre was officially opened in May, 2015 with an empty elevator shaft. Two years later, I still need to be lifted up the stairs in order to access the auditorium which is on the second floor because the elevator is yet to be installed. Our previous Government ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in June, 2015 (two months before the General Election) which states: The CRPD prohibits disability discrimination against someone with a disability in a wide range of life activities, including, but not limited to: Access to premises used by the public. For example, using libraries, places of worship, government offices and courts, hospitals, restaurants, shops, cinemas, COMMUNITY CENTRES, or other premises used by the public. Our present Government does not give the impression that it will have the elevator installed. When a country elects a new Government it is because a majority of its people wants a change in policies, not just a change in faces.

Let's Fix This

Trinidad and Tobago has a crime problem, good citizens are considering migrating. Migrate to where? To Mars? If you populate Mars, there will be crime on Mars. Migrating will not solve any of our problems. We can fix this. Let's fix this!!!

The Convention states

I attended Learie Joseph and Friends in Concert at the Chatham Community Centre last Saturday night, I counted approximately six persons using walking aids and one in a wheelchair. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states: The CRPD prohibits disability discrimination against someone with a disability in a wide range of life activities, including, but not limited to: Access to premises used by the public. For example, using libraries, places of worship, government offices and courts, hospitals, restaurants, shops, cinemas, COMMUNITY CENTRES, or other premises used by the public. Install it.

Rest in peace Beverly Jackson

I met Beverly Jackson through Marcia Henville, from the day I became friends with Beverly I felt her passion. She was the founder of the Miss T&T Differently-Abled Queen Show. I enjoyed helping her with the show and just chatting with her.. Rest in peace Beverly Jackson

Winston Peters

My 2015 Year In Review

My first newspaper article was published on January 8. My Equal Treatment for Differently Abled People facebook fan page got its first endorsement on February 19. My Equal Treatment for Differently Abled People facebook fan page crossed sixteen thousand (16,000) on June 4. I went on my first holiday without my mother on October 31.

My 2015 - 2016 Budget Response

Yesterday, the newly elected Government of Trinidad and Tobago read its 2015 - 2016 National Budget where the Government mentioned plans to have consultations with the Differently Abled Community on the way forward. I am happy to know that we finally have Typically-Abled persons in Parliament who realise they do not know and will never know the needs of Persons with Disabilities, unless, they acquire a disability themselves, then they will know the needs of persons with that specific disability. I hope that the consultations are actually held and policies implemented soon (long before the 2020 General Elections)

New Government

I will be holding our new Government to its election manifesto.

Just a Couple Questions

I would like to know what the Minister of Community Development intends to do with the EMPTY elevator shaft at the Chatham Community Centre and how does he intend to make the second floor accessible to all? In other words. How long will I need to be carried up a flight of stairs in order to attend anything being held in the auditorium?

Un-acceptable Response

“Find another way of getting them (the Differently Abled) up here” was one of the things the Minister of Community Development said concerning the elevator at the official opening of the Chatham Community Centre yesterday because its maintenance cost too much. The Minister also said that elevators in other community centres are not working because they are being misuse by children in the community. I think that the Minister’s response was un-acceptable because he did not have a solution. The Minister's statement left me wondering if he meant that other members of the community are supposed to carry persons who cannot walk up stairs like the Elderly lady who I saw using two walking aids. UN-ACCEPTABLE!!!

Limited Access at Chatham Community Centre

I live in the Chatham community. Construction of our new two floor community centre has recently been completed or has it? Our brand new community centre does not have an elevator or any other means for someone in a wheelchair to access the second floor where the auditorium is. It has a ramp to access the ground floor but the second floor which houses the auditorium is inaccessible to me. I am a member of the community and I have every right to be able to access the second floor of our community centre.

Kenisha Thom's endorsement

Why Are We Not Highlighted Like The Senior Citizens?

I am a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago who just happens to be Differently Abled. For the the past few years, I have noticed that our politicians always mention the Senior Citizens in their speeches. In the Prime Minister's statement on falling oil prices, the Senior Citizens was mentioned but the Differently Abled was not and my question is why. Why are we not highlighted like the Senior Citizens? Is it the fact that we are a small community whose votes are not necessary to put a political party into office? Do not even think about saying that we are included in the most vulnerable category because I will not accept that answer and neither should anyone else in the Differently Abled community.

Overlooked Again???

Increases in the Old Age Pension and the Disability Grant were announced in our last National Budget on September 8. This month, our pensioners received their $500 increase but the Differently Abled did not receive our $300 increase in our Disability Grant. I do not want to believe that we have been overlooked like we were on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

My 2014 Year in Review

My Equal Treatment for Differently Abled People’s Facebook fan page crossed twelve thousand five hundred (12,500) on February 1, thirteen thousand (13,000) on March 3, fourteen thousand (14,000) on June 26, fifteen thousand (15,000) on November 21. I was part of a presentation on assistive technology at the University of Trinidad and Tobago Corinth Campus which I attended and enjoyed on May 12. I got my first paying job on July 9. I recorded what would be my first television interview on August 7. Part 1 and 2 of my first television interview were aired on September 7 and 14 respectively. It's time to close the door on a blessings filled 2014 and open the door to another blessed year...

I said.... Merry Christmas