Call for more support for challenged persons

Another call has been made for persons here in St Vincent and the Grenadines to give support to the “challenged”, among the population.

Regional official for Special Olympics, Jamaican Maureen Webber, was one of the persons making the call, as she addressed the opening ceremony of the 2016 Special Olympics SVG National Games at the Victoria Park, last Thursday afternoon.{{more}}

“What I am concerned about is that parents and citizens do not come out and support the national games,” she said.

Webber intimated that it was critical for this level of support to take place, as the challenged ones are capable of doing things which other able-bodied persons do.

Meanwhile, Minister of National Mobilization, Social Development, Gender Affairs, Family Affairs, Persons with Disabilities and Youth Frederick Stephenson called on others to augment the efforts of Government.

Stephenson said that his ministry, in conjunction with the Ministry of Housing, “… have put together a programme called the Lives to Live Programme, to assist in the development and advancement of housing ramps and rails for persons with disabilities in St Vincent and the Grenadines.”

Also as part of a “responsible government”, Stephenson noted they have passed the building code act, which makes it mandatory that every new building that is constructed should have access to cater for every member of the society, inclusive of persons with disabilities.

This act, Stephenson underscored, is in place here and in Haiti, while the other Caribbean countries are working on theirs.

Also lending his voice to the call for more support was chair of Special Olympics SVG Sir Errol Allen, who thanked those already on board with the movement and welcomed others to join.

Allen singled out the contributions of Digicel and Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines, which have been their major sponsors over the years.

Preceding last Thursday’s official opening ceremony was the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) from Georgetown to Kingstown, in which monetary donations were solicited from the general public towards the development of the local Special Olympics movement.

The 2016 National Games was held under the theme: “Revealing the Champion in all of us.”