Humphrey reveals stories of denial of education, inadequate health services for disabled
Government will introduce landmark legislation by December to address decades of inequality faced by disabled Barbadians, including possible affirmative action measures. As he brought to light what he called the “horror stories” of discriminatory and unequal treatment of disabled people in Barbados, Minister of People Empowerment Kirk Humphrey announced Tuesday that the new National […]
Beware vigilantism: today for you, tomorrow for me
From all accounts, including the personal recollections of our journalists dating back decades, the late Pedro Caddle was bad and dangerous to know; Problem Child in both nickname and nature from rural Bissex Hill to suburban Jackson. The old moral principle of not speaking ill of the dead falls at the feet of the legal […]
Thorne: Businesses must accept cost of disability access
Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne on Tuesday challenged Barbadian businesses to embrace the cost of disability access upgrades, arguing that commercial interests must not override the dignity of people with disabilities. During the debate on the 2023/2030 National Disabilities Policy to Improve the Lives of Persons with Disabilities in Parliament, Thorne drew on biblical imagery to […]
MPs reform push to ‘build an inclusive Barbados’
Two government lawmakers have made a strong call for a more inclusive Barbados, advocating a series of reforms designed to empower persons with disabilities, including affirmative action in the workplace. Addressing a resolution on a national policy aimed at improving the lives of the disabled, St James North MP Edmund Hinkson and Christ Church East […]
Rastafari cannabis rights case delay sparks frustration
A constitutional challenge over Rastafarians’ rights to use cannabis in religious ceremonies has been adjourned for nearly three months, just two days into proceedings at the High Court, in what the claimant has called a “disheartening” development. Paul Ras Simba Rock is suing the Attorney General, contending that the 2019 Sacramental Cannabis Act, which only […]
Disabled community hails ‘historic’ national policy debate
Disability advocates celebrated a landmark moment on Tuesday as Parliament began debating the 2023/2030 National Disabilities Policy, aimed at improving the lives of people with disabilities across the island. Speaking from the well of Parliament, the newly appointed president of the Barbados Council for the Disabled, Patricia Blackman, described the occasion as “highly significant” for […]