Category: Disability

The Belize Association of Persons with Diverse Ability (BAPDA) has elected new board members following the passing of former President Kenrick Theus. On March twenty-second, the association held elections to choose a new leadership team. Francisco Cuellar, who previously served as vice-president, was elected as the new president. We had the chance to speak with Cuellar today about his new role.

 

Francisco Cuellar, President, BAPDA

“I took up the post. I was vice president, and Mr. Theus was president. So it is an honor for me as president because now I will fight for people with disability and diverse ability like myself. Nothing much has been happening in the country of Belize. We just passed the Disability Bill, now we have a new minister. The election happened, so we starting a new process. Everything is new, so the transition will happen but it will take time. I promise to work hard for people who are disabled, mental, sickle cell to register as a member. We are looking at data. We don’t know data concerning people living with disabilities. My vision is to make all buildings disability accessible. They have ramps, elevators, buildings with two, three floors don’t have ramps or elevators so people with wheelchairs cant climb up. They have to climb on steps so that is the transition I want to fight. Even with the hurricane season on us, we don’t have proper shelters for persons with disabilities, like persons who are bedridden without proper shelter. So we are working on it as we speak.”

Several suspects have been detained following the tragic shooting in Belize City on Sunday night. The incident on Rivero Street claimed the life of eighteen-year-old Trayson Gibson. Trayson had been paralyzed from the waist down since a shooting in 2022, and he had been using a wheelchair ever since. Despite his challenges, Trayson never lost his determination. He was on a relentless quest to find a job to support his grandmother, who was his primary caretaker. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain as many companies were unwilling to hire a wheelchair user. Earlier this year, Belize made a significant stride by passing the historic Disabilities Bill, aimed at ensuring equal opportunities for Belizeans with disabilities. This bill emphasizes the right to employment, giving hope that people like Trayson would have a fair chance to work. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with more details.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

At just fifteen, Trayson Gibson’s world was shattered when a shooting left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair for life. But Trayson didn’t let this break his spirit. According to his grandmother, who cared for him, his incredible willpower helped him adapt to his new reality with remarkable resilience.

 

 

Voice of: Grandmother of Deceased

“And it heartbreaking for him too because he does play football, he da mi a football person, play basketball, all kind of thing. And inna one ovanight he get like that. He neva gone da no therapy so he da Wa strong guy. Because he neva did gina da nothing, he just tek it right so and he get back with that.”

 

 

 

 

On Sunday, Trayson Gibson was mortally injured while he was hanging out with friends in his neighborhood. Reports say two men on a motorcycle suddenly appeared and opened fire. This time, the bullets were fatal. For his grandmother, the pain of losing Trayson is even more profound because she remembers his unwavering determination. Despite countless job rejections, he never lost hope of finding work to help pay the bills.

 

 

Voice of: Grandmother of Deceased

“Most of the call centers they said they noh have the wheelchair access so they said ney cya tek ah. So he mi get shove back fi that. Ney noh really wa deal with ah. Because he wa cya go up fi work and then neu she ney noh di tek nobody on fi home one right now. So ih lone ki di get throwback throwback, Throw back, So ih neva did get anything like that.”

 

 

According to his grandmother, Gibson had finally received a call back from a potential employer. However, his hopes were dashed when he mentioned that he was in a wheelchair, and the opportunity slipped away.

 

Voice of: Grandmother of Deceased

“He never gave up. He always di search. The other day somebody mi call ah but ih look like he noh tell ney that how he cripple. So Princess mi call ah but it look like when Princess call he seh that he noh want neh type ah job because soh and soh and da then ney understand. But ney mi di call ah fi go work. But he’s like that and it mi wa be a problem because neh noh tek people like that. Belize noh really get advance inna thing lie that yet to me.”

 

Earlier this month, Belize made history by passing its first-ever disability bill. This landmark legislation aims to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities, like Trayson Gibson, protect their rights, and ensure they receive the privileges and benefits guaranteed by the Constitution. As a result, more establishments across Belize will need to make their buildings accessible to everyone, including those who are wheelchair-bound. Minister of Human Development, Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, who introduced the bill in the House of Representatives, explains what these changes will entail.

 

File: December 3^rd, 2024

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“ If you make legislation that you are going to not only respect the rights of persons with disabilities, but do something about it, then the practical benefits that should come are That there will be recourse, there will be a place and a structure where persons with disabilities will be able to hold all the relevant parties accountable. Whether it’s government, private sector, schools, health, education, employment, all of these things are important. And basically what we’re saying is that we want to ensure that persons with disabilities, let’s take wheelchair access, as the most, probably the most glaring example, the most obvious example, many of our buildings are not wheelchair accessible for persons with that kind of mobility difficulty, so basically what the law is saying is that Buildings will have to make themselves accessible to people in a wheelchair.”

 

The bill mandates that within a year, both government and private buildings must ensure accessibility where feasible. It also highlights the commitment to uphold the rights of every disabled person, including their right to employment.

 

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia

“We are saying that both private sector and government, we need to make ourselves and the buildings that we occupy, accessible to persons with that kind of disability. Now, there are other disabilities, mental, emotional you have visually impaired, we have hearing impaired. And so in terms of persons with disabilities access to employment, to education, to health care. Government would be a lead agency, but then the private sector and other agencies would kick in making sure that we respect the rights of persons with disabilities and make the adjustments that we feel may be necessary.”

 

With the new bill in place, Belizeans with disabilities now have a powerful piece of legislation to back them up. It clearly outlines their right to employment opportunities and stands firmly against discrimination. This is a significant step forward in ensuring equal treatment and opportunities for everyone. Britney Gordon for News Five.

As natural disasters become increasingly frequent and severe, the need for inclusive infrastructure in emergency shelters has never been more urgent. In Belize, where the threat of hurricanes and other disasters looms year-round, a significant gap exists in the country’s ability to provide safe, accessible refuge for its most vulnerable populations—particularly children with disabilities. Despite the government’s efforts to prepare over 400 shelters nationwide, many are still ill-equipped to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. The following investigative piece delves into the critical shortcomings of shelter infrastructure, the ongoing challenges faced by children with disabilities during evacuations, and the steps being taken—or overlooked—in ensuring their safety and well-being during times of crisis. Hipolito Novelo reports.

 

Hipolito Novelo reporting

As natural disasters intensify, so does the urgency to ensure that every Belizean is able to seek refuge during times of crisis. But for children with disabilities, Belize’s emergency shelters remain dangerously inadequate. The pressing need for inclusive infrastructure in these shelters has never been more apparent, especially as the threat of hurricanes and other natural disasters looms year-round.

 

In Belize, over 400 shelters have been designated for use during emergencies. Yet, many are still not equipped to accommodate individuals with disabilities. Schools, churches, and public buildings are often used as shelters, but their multi-purpose nature makes them ill-suited for disaster relief. For instance, bathroom facilities and accessibility features are insufficient, and the needs of children with disabilities remain overlooked. According to Daniel Mendez, the National Emergency Coordinator at the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), two shelters have been identified as fully accessible to individuals with disabilities in Belize City: The Inspiration Center and the Education Building.

 

Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator, NEMO

“It’s important for us to look at the needs of children in disaster situations. Children and persons with disabilities are some of the most vulnerable persons. It is important for us to look at them in particular, because we know across the world children are the ones most impacted by disasters. We do have a committee that looks at the needs of persons with disabilities. And that committee is the one that manages, knows where these populations are, and reaches out to those persons. So there is a special plan for those persons if there’s a need for evacuation. And we do have people who look after that issue. So it’s one that is an area that we will continue. We know that needs to be expanded and strengthened, and we will be; we will continue to do that in the future.”

 

In 2023, Belize signed the Protocol for the Protection of Children and Adolescents in Emergencies and Disaster Situations, which focuses on ensuring integrated protection for children through a multi-sectoral approach during disasters. This minimises the impacts on their living conditions. It serves as a guide for government agencies, civil society, the private sector, and international organisations in the stages of prevention, preparation, response, and recovery.

 

Daniel Mendez

“That is an area that will continue to be rolled out. There’s a specific plan for it. And we continue to work with our partner UNICEF to ensure that the children are considered under the plan that is reflected in all of our operational plan. So it’s an area that is being integrated into all our operational plans across the country.”

 

The Inspiration Center provides a range of services for children with disabilities. It is one of the shelters designated for individuals with disabilities. Executive Director Joycelyn Lopez says that while there has been progress, including setting up shelters for disaster preparedness, there is still much work to be done.

 

Lopez says that the increasing population of children with disabilities has led to a growing demand for services at the Inspiration Center.

 

Joycelyn Lopez, Executive Director, Inspiration Center

“The population is a growing population. Children, more children are being born with disabilities or diagnoses that contribute to these disabilities. And elderly people as well who suffer from disabilities. The population is a growing population. The population that we serve is a huge population. And Belize lacks allied health professionals. So, because Belize lacks allied health professionals, most of our children come to us.”

 

Evan Cowo is the Community-Based Rehabilitation Manager at the Inspiration Center and is part of CEMO’s Special Needs Disaster Response Team. He has witnessed firsthand the challenges and risks posed by inadequate facilities for children with disabilities in times of disasters. He says that accessibility for individuals with mobility issues goes beyond ramps for wheelchairs. He stressed the need for wide doors and accessible bathrooms for those with special needs. He also noted the importance of always having a medical doctor present, adequate transportation, a hot plate of food, and beds.

 

Evan Cowo, Community-Based Rehabilitation Manager, Inspiration Center

“You can’t bring somebody who has a disability and just let them sit on the floor; you know, you need beds, and some of these people that come, sometimes they have bed sores and you have other complications that they, you know, they, they really need to be in a, in a bed. Through my experience, the first thing that. Parents would leave the children with disabilities as a last, the planning would be last for, for children with disabilities, when it should be, it should be the first, you know, the first. And like I said, some, some children would come with different, um, health issues that we, we need to address.”

 

While there has been progress in some areas, concerns persist about the slow implementation of laws designed to protect individuals with disabilities, especially children. The Disability Bill, which was ratified years ago, was just recently enacted, frustrating advocates like the late Kenrick Theus, who was the president of the Belize Assembly for Persons with Diverse Abilities when we spoke with him a few days before his passing.

 

Kenrick Theus, Former President, BAPDA

“In the end, until the whole thing has been vetted out  and all the arms of it and the legs and the feet and the office and the computers and a person in charge and just like what you have with the AIDS commission,  they have a full office and a secretariat. They’re functioning, they’re working.  Disability doesn’t have that in place.  I don’t know how long it would take to get that all in place, but until if it takes him until the 4th of December,  that’s when, if it takes another six months, that’s when too.  So, I, I would venture to say it wouldn’t take six years because we will be making enough noise beyond that, yeah, well, that’s the next thing. You can make all noise you want. That is, as if they want to listen. It’s taken too damn long. It’s taken, if they’re serious about this, upon that assent, everybody who is supposed to be appointed wouldn’t have been appointed already. You cannot have buildings being built in 2024 that you say, well, you need to go to the building authority.  The building authority know damn well that this thing have to have a ramp, but it’s not in place. So now when I get there now, I’m excluded because I can’t access the building. So this is a commercial building. You want to carry on business here, but yet I don’t have access. That shouldn’t happen in 2020, not in Belize.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.