By: Precious Mills
BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (DECEMBER, 2017)– The President of the St. Kitts- Nevis Association of Persons with Disabilities, Anthony Mills, has expressed concern that the government’s street renovations being carried out for the placement of traffic lights in Basseterre will be problematic for wheelchair users.
In a recent exclusive chit-chat with this media house, he opened up about what has been happening on a national level pertaining to the needs of individuals who are physically handicapped being addressed.
“There has been some improvement but there also has been slight negatives in terms of they are putting in the street lights which is a good thing but at some of the corners, the streets lamps are actually reducing the size of the side walk especially the one there on the corner of Royal Bank.”
Mills, who is wheelchair bound, talked about the issue that would be had in moving about such sidewalks.
“The way they put the street lamps, it actually means that a person with a wheelchair will have to come off of the sidewalk and then get back up on the sidewalk because it reduces that corner to a point where it’s too narrow for a wheelchair to pass.”
Asked if he has contacted those in authority, he informed that he spoke with the Minister of Public Infrastructure Minister Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd but that he (Mills) is uncertain as to what can be done at this point to address the matter.
Additionally, he highlighted that when there are changes, such should not be negative to any segment of the population.
“I mean with them already casting concrete, I guess it ain’t a whole lot that they’ll be able to do but I’ve brought it to his attention so that going forward, they would kind of know that they have to make changes and ensure that even when you are doing a good thing, that good thing should not bring a negative to any segment of the population.”
In conversation with Mills about the importance of government consulting with his association for certain projects, he shared: “We always ask them to but sometimes they just don’t.”