Navigating streets challenges disabled

Life is not always kind to the many pedestrians who are forced to share Belize City’s narrow streets with an ever expanding array of trucks, buses, and oversized S.U.V.’s. But if you think you’ve got it rough, try navigating with nothing more than a white cane. News 5’s Patrick Jones has more.

Patrick Jones, Reporting
They are an integral part of society, but for thousands of people with disabilities in Belize, just getting around can be an added challenge to overcome. Today on Regent and Queen Streets, the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired and CARE-Belize took their public awareness campaign to motorists and other road users.

Carla Ayres-Musa, P.R. Officer, B.C.V.I.
?Basically what we are trying to do is increase awareness and we are starting with the everyday people who are out here driving their cars, walking the streets, just letting them know that it?s important to think about other people whether it be just regular pedestrian trying to cross the street or someone from B.C.V.I. who is visually impaired or from CARE-Belize who is physically impaired. And it?s important to start with the people before you try to start to do anything bigger like our national policy on disabilities that we are trying to get launched right now.?

The mid-morning exercise gave the public a chance to acquire some vital information on how to treat people with disabilities. Hector Hoare is one of the city?s many white cane users.

Hector Hoare, Disability Advocate
?The sidewalks, they are the most difficult to get around in Belize City. Because sometimes you find some of them they are very smooth, and some of them again they have these holes that they open up to clean the drains and sometimes they just leave those things open and those things can be dangerous. I remember one time I fell in one of them while I was walking and it was really hurtful to see that people were inconsiderate, not only for person who are disabled but for other people on a whole, in general.?

For the last nineteen years Donovan Reneau, has demonstrated his ability to deal with the hazards of life in Belize City. He says that drivers especially need to get the message.

Donovan Reneau, Disability Advocate
?Some would stop, some would drive straight through. Some would say, Donovan you could probably pass between our vehicles. Just a few, though.?

Patrick Jones
?What would you like to see changed for people to change this attitude??

Donovan Reneau, Disability Advocate
?I would like more awareness of the white cane and I would like people to be sensitive to people who are disabled, who are on a whole not only blind, but disabled on a whole. To be more, not sympathetic, but just give us our right and our respect to cross the street and to function in the community as normal as we could be.?

Patrick Jones
?Do you think that people?s attitude towards people with disability has changed, is changing or needs changing??

Carla Ayres-Musa
?I think that it has changed a lot. I think people are more aware now because we did the same thing last year. So hopefully it worked. I see a little bit of a difference, people have stopped to help us out. But I think that there is always room for improvement. I think that simply when people are building, when people are renovating they can add a ramp for someone who is in a wheelchair who needs one, they could add Braille signs next to the restroom door so that someone knows this is male, this is female. So there is always room for improvement, but I definitely think it has improved.?

And for that, people with disabilities say they are thankful.

Donovan Reneau
?I would give the Belizean people a B+. not an A as yet, a B+ because you still have some who are still back in the dark ages of blind people cannot walk by themselves. So that?s one of the challenge that they would rather see someone take us around, but I would give them a B+.?

Patrick Jones, for News Five.

Other activities for Disabilities Week include a finger spelling bee, parade, and family fun day.