Wentworth Sears asks the Bahamian public to try to understand the needs of disabled people.
Two weeks ago, Mr. Sears claims he was thrown out a bus for no apparent reason.
Mr Sears, who was born with brain damage, has an ultra mature disability, and is paralyzed on his left side. According to him, he is continuously disregarded by bus drivers. On several occasions, bus drivers have refused to stop to pick him up.
"I have had problems with catching the bus for many years," he said, with a tear in his eye. "Just how you have to be on time for work in the morning, I have to be at my spot on time," said Mr , Sears who has a T-shirt stand on Bay Street.
"I am not looking for a handout," he said, on the verge of tears. "I am willing to help myself. I go to work every morning like normal citizens. All I want is for my disabled brothers and sisters to get a fair chance."
Sam Williams, founder of Bahamas Loving Care (BLC), a grass-root, nonprofit, social organisation, of which Mr Sears is part, said, "We need to put more love on the streets."
"This is not the first or second time, this has happened to this young man and I think it's time to let the public know what's going on and take steps to prevent future occurrences," he said.
Leroy Pratt, Public Relations Officer of BLC, said, "We feel that the disabled in the country is not being taken care of or considered as they ought to be. Not only do we Bahamians fail to give them a second thought, but hardly do their everyday plight attract a 'first' thought. This manifested itself quite recently and well below the public radar of attention. He (Mr Sears) had such an experience that we felt the public needed to be sensitized so that they can think a little more about the disabled and their plight and maybe support some type of change."
Edith Johnson, who was physically disabled after having a stroke in 1994, said she shared his feelings. "People cannot relate to this until it happens to them.
"We don't know what the next moment holds for us," she continued. Mrs Johnson, who also has a disabled son, was not able to walk and talk after her stroke. However, she has now fully recovered. "We don't know what capacity we are going to be in the next 24 hours."
The president of BLC said he had a meeting with Jack Thompson, road traffic controller and he (Thompson) promised he would get to the bottom of the matter.
The Tribune attempted to call Mr Thompson, but the call was not returned up to press time.
By KRYSTEL ROLLE, The Tribune
