A tree-planting campaign aimed at honouring disability advocates and advancing inclusion was unveiled on Wednesday as the Barbados Council for the Disabled (BCD) launched its year-long 50th anniversary celebrations, with calls for national and corporate support to strengthen the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.
Speaking at Harambee House, The Garrison, BCD president Patricia Padmore-Blackman said the milestone, held under the theme Honouring the Struggle, Igniting the Future, is a tribute to the pioneers of the disability rights movement and a call for unity in driving the next phase of progress.
“We remember the pioneers whose vision and courage laid the foundation for a movement that has transformed lives and reshaped our national consciousness,” she said.
“Today, we celebrate that legacy and take up the challenge it gives us.”
The 50 Trees for 50 Years legacy project, launched at the event, will see trees planted across Barbados in honour of individuals and organisations who have championed disability inclusion.
Each tree will bear a plaque and a QR code telling the honouree’s story.
The first two honourees are the late former prime minister Owen Arthur, credited with securing Harambee House for the council, and former minister of social transformation Hamilton Lashley, who helped transform the building into a purpose-built facility.
At the ceremony, Arthur was represented by his widow, Julie Arthur, while Lashley was represented by his daughter, Ashley Lashley.
Operations manager Roseanna Tudor said the initiative is part of a broader commemorative programme running until June 2026, which includes two other major projects.
A commemorative all-inclusive thanksgiving service during the Month of the Disabled in March 2026 will honour past advocates and renew commitments.
The 50 Empowering Projects campaign invites businesses, service clubs, and individuals to sponsor practical measures that improve accessibility and independence for persons with disabilities, such as installing ramps, funding therapy, and supporting employment opportunities.
“These are not just projects; they are pathways to dignity, independence, and hope,” Tudor said, urging support.
“As we plant each tree, we are also planting a vision of a Barbados where access, dignity, and opportunity are not privileges, but rights enjoyed by all.”
BCD vice president Kerryann Ifill echoed the call for continued action.
“If vision carried us to this golden milestone, then courage and unity must carry us into the next 50 years. Let us lead boldly, imagine freely, and act with purpose so that disability in Barbados is not seen as a limitation but as part of the rich diversity that strengthens us all,” she said.
Director of the National Disabilities Unit, Wayne Nurse, congratulated the council and reaffirmed the government’s commitment through policy initiatives such as the 2023–2030 National Policy on the Disabled and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill.
“We will continue on our quest to achieve a Barbados where there is no discrimination, where there is accessibility, respect, dignity, and empowerment for all persons with disabilities,” he said.
The anniversary celebrations will also feature events honouring the contributions of past leaders and advocates, with the council calling on the public to partner in its mission: sponsor a tree, support a project, and help make inclusion a reality.
(SM)
The post Council for the Disabled launches golden jubilee drive with legacy project appeared first on Barbados Today.