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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Bahamas Information Services Updates
Nassau, The Bahamas – Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, Wednesday appealed to House Speaker, the Hon. D. Halson Moultrie, to ensure that the community of persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing are allowed to participate fully in the proceedings of the House of Assembly through the provision of Sign Language Interpreters. Minister Campbell also made similar appeals to the country’s law enforcement agencies -- particularly the Royal Bahamas Police Force -- to integrate policies and procedures for addressing the special needs of persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing into their initial and ongoing sensitivity and awareness programmes. A third appeal was made to the Association of Clearing Banks in The Bahamas to install ATMs so as to ensure that the Community of persons who are Blind and/or Visually Impaired can maintain their independence when doing their banking business. Delivering his contribution to the 2020/2021 National Budget Debate in the House of Assembly, Minister Campbell said he has always maintained, and will continue to maintain, that but for the Grace of God, anyone can fall victim to either a temporary or permanent disability. “And so Mr. Speaker with that in mind, we have a duty and an obligation to ensure to secure access and inclusion for the Community of Persons with Disabilities. Access to every institution -- educational, medical or otherwise, access to every facility, access to every offering that is available to everyone else has to be available to the community of persons with disabilities. “Mr. Speaker, you could imagine how it grieved my heart as the Minister responsible for ensuring access to this community of persons, that I know -- even as I speak now and intercede on the persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, that they are unable to appreciate that someone is speaking for them because of the absence of a Sign Language Interpreter. “And so I make a plea to you, I make a plea through you as the Speaker of this place, to find some way to ensure that there is available Sign Language when this House is in Session.” Minister Campbell said persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing cannot be readily identified just by looking at them because everything else appears to be, and is normal. “They are busy being productive members, contributing members, taxpaying members of this community and so they need to know what we are discussing here for them, and on their behalf. They need to be aware and be able to say ‘Nothing for us, Without us.’ Mr. Speaker, I beg you, I beg you, do what you can, as much as you can, to ensure that these persons have access for what is going on here.” A 29-year veteran of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Minister Campbell also made an appeal to law enforcement agencies to integrate policies and procedures for dealing with persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing into their initial and ongoing sensitivity and awareness programmes. “Persons driving vehicles with sirens need to know that there are some persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing who are driving and may not hear those sirens. Persons making police stops and routine checks need to know that there is the possibility that the person they are talking to is Deaf and Hard of Hearing and not necessarily intentionally disobeying their command.” The Social Services Minister said he has directed team members at the Disability Affairs Division, the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and its Secretariat, to work on the design of a logo/decal that members of the community can place on their vehicles, in addition to “a form of identification” persons belonging to the community can use to verify their conditions. Minister Campbell’s final plea was to the Association of Clearing Banks in The Bahamas on behalf of the Community of persons who are blind and/or visually impaired. “Mr. Speaker that should not deny them of their independence. They should be able to go into the various banks and perform their transactions; they should be able to go into the ATM and not necessarily let the persons who are assisting them know how much money is on their accounts. “There are ATMs that are compliant to persons who are Blind and Visually Impaired and so I appeal to the Association of Clearing Banks -- the community of Persons who are Blind and/or Visually Impaired, has money to spend -- that community has money to bank, that community comprises their clientele,” Minister Campbell added.
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