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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
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NASSAU, The Bahamas –The government needs to work aggressively in order to meet the needs of those afflicted with developmental disabilities. Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie says that his own personal experience puts him in an excellent position to advocate for change in the way the disabled are dealt with in The Bahamas.
The Prime Minister made the remarks during his address of the Opening Ceremony for the Multi-Service Facility for Adults with Developmental Disabilities seminar. The three-day event sponsored by the Ministry of Social Services and Community Development, commenced on Wednesday, February 25. Facilitators for the seminar included renowned master trainers, Perry Samowitz, Fred Feibush and Fawzi Abu-Hashish.
“There is an acute need for major intervention on the part of the government after hearing stories such as disabled persons being locked away alone at home when parents have to go out to work or having to toil daily just to survive,” said Mr. Christie.
“As a father who has had to watch a child locked away in the body of a grown man, I am all too aware of the challenges that parents and family members face on a daily basis,” he said. “This is the reason why I am so passionate about this issue and why I feel that it is my duty to right the wrongs in the way that the disabled are treated in this country.”
Minister of Social Services and Community Development, the Hon. Melanie Griffin said that the seminar came to fruition after overwhelming pleas by parents, teachers and advocates, who approached the Prime Minister about starting the programme.
“It became evident that there were many challenges for persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities who would age out of the traditional school setting,” said Minister Griffin. “We had to find a way to continue to assist those persons as they became adults. And this is where parents, teachers and strong advocates came out and worked together to bring this programme about.”
According to the 2010 census report on persons with disabilities there were 10,138 persons with disabilities in the country of which males, numbering 5,250 accounted for more than half (51.8%). With the exception of Bimini, Cat Island, Crooked Island, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells, the number of males with disability outnumbered afflicted females on all islands.
By virtue of its size, New Providence had the largest number, 6,737, accounting for two thirds of this population group however, as a percentage of the total population on this island, persons with disabilities accounted for 2.7%.
Of this group 5 years of age and over, 7.3% had no form of education, 47.4% had secondary level education and 7.6% had college/university education. This compares to 1.5%, 55% and 16.7% respectively for the population without a disability.
Approximately 17% of the disabled population 15 years of age and over was employed with the largest employer – that being the private sector; 23% were working with government or quasi-government corporations; and an additional 20% were self-employed.
Seventy-two percent of the persons with disability had no form of health insurance.
With respect to accommodations in private households, 10% lived alone, 56% lived in households with 2 to 4 persons and 9% lived in households with eight or more persons.
Nineteen percent of persons with disability lived in households which had a total annual income which did not exceed $10,000, 35% were in households where the income ranged between $15,001 and $40,000 and 5% lived in household were the income exceeded $100,000.
A further analysis of the census report figures by the Ministry of Social Services and Community Development provides an approximate number of 1,709 persons between the ages of 15 years to 85 years with developmental disabilities.
Pictured at the seminar are instructors and students at the Ministry of Social Services, Aventura Plaza. (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
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