The Human Services Ministry has announced that it would be seeking to help to ensure the safety of members of the Guyana Society for the Blind at their headquarters.
Following a meeting between Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud and Disability Rights Activist Ganesh Singh on plans for the disability community on Friday, the ministry said it would be looking to see what assistance it can give the Society as it relates to safety.
In a press release, the ministry noted that Persaud and Singh discussed major improvement plans for the disability community.
Singh, who is the Pro-gramme Coordinator of the Guyana Council of Orga-nizations for Persons with Disabilities, is expected to play a key role in helping the ministry determine the way forward regarding new efforts for persons with disabilities. “It was a very, very productive meeting and I was actually taken aback with the Minister’s vision for disability. It’s clear and in sync with what we want so I am optimistic and very excited to work along with this Ministry,” Singh was quoted as saying after the meeting.
During the meeting, Singh was able to share his ideas on programmes that the ministry wants to roll out for teenagers, young adults, and those in the disability community who may not have had access to any formal training, the ministry said.
Persaud and Singh also discussed concerns about security for members of the Guyana Society for the Blind, especially against the background of Singh being attacked last week. Singh previously shared that he was stepping out of a taxi in the compound of the Guyana Society for the Blind when he was robbed by a young bicycle bandit on May 11 at about 11.45 am. “The security situation in the St Phillips Green where the Guyana Society for the Blind is located is getting worse. Security was always a problem in the area for the blind persons, however over the past few months things have gotten worse. The bandits are more brazen,” Singh said while noting that it was not the first incident of a blind person being robbed in the area. He said that he would not be the last unless the relevant authorities make drastic and concrete improvement with securing the area.
Meanwhile, the release said that President of the Guyana Society for the Blind, Cecil Morris has also raised the issue of security, calling attention to the issue of security for the members of the Society and noting that a number of blind persons have been robbed over the past few months, both in the compound and while on their way into the compound. “This security issue has been an ongoing one with no concrete solution from the authorities. The area is known to have a lot of thieves,” he pointed out.
Additionally, the ministry noted that Morris has also highlighted some of the other issues affecting the Society, saying that for the past two years their building has been flooding even when there is limited rainfall. He said the sewerage system that is connected to the building is block-ed and the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) field workers have been unable to find the blockage, resulting in constant back up of waste materials.
The release further said that Morris has talked about vagrants and other citizens using the area, mainly the driveway of the compound, as a dumpsite. Also, Morris has complained that there is no adequate funding to manage the Society and provide services to the membership.
