Also attending the presentation were Directors, staff and some of the Presidents of the BCD Affiliates.
Almost two hundred (200) persons with disabilities (PWD) will now be able to access more convenient transportation in their daily lives. This is thanks to a second fully accessible bus donated by The Maria Holder Memorial Trust to the Barbados Council for the Disabled.
The new bus is a Ford Transit 350 LWB High roof 125ps 13-Seat Accessible Minibus with Inboard Wheelchair Lift; 3-seat cab, (Driver plus 2 passengers); 11 Euro seats in saloon, of which 6 are on ‘quick release’. All fabric-covered seats are supplied with full 3-point seat belts and headrests. Wheelchair Tracking in floor is suitable for up to 3 wheelchairs, 3 off combination Wheelchair harnesses and restraint systems. The bus also includes an internally mounted RTP50 Electro Hydraulic Wheelchair Lift complete with all controls and test certificate.
In making the presentation, Christopher Holder and Chesterfield Brewster, Founders of The Maria Holder Memorial Trust said: “We are donating this second accessible bus to The Council as a tangible expression of our commitment to improving the quality of life for persons with disabilities in Barbados. We intend for this bus to assist in filling the void that still exists in fully accessible transportation for persons with disabilities who cannot now participate in simple daily living tasks due to a limited service“.
Mrs. Maria Holder-Small, President of the Barbados Council for the Disabled in accepting the donation indicated: “This is a timely and much appreciated donation as only a small percentage of the requirements for accessible transportation for persons with disabilities are being filled in Barbados. The Council has attempted to address this void over the past fifteen (15) years. This new donated bus, the second bus funded by The Maria Holder Memorial Trust, will therefore provide an invaluable service to a number of beneficiaries in our Council’s membership“.
Among those who will benefit from this new bus, along with the second accessible bus, are fifteen (15) school children with disabilities daily; one hundred and twenty (120) members of BCD’s organisations with various mobility challenges; twenty (20) members attending weekly physiotherapy and forty (40) visitors with disabilities to our island.
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