NSPD member speaks out

02.NOV.10

Editor: I read intently, the article which was written by a concerned member of NSPD dated Friday, October 16, 2010. It captured in detail almost all the events that had transpired during the meeting.

Please afford me a space in your newspaper to comment on an issue of concern to me and one that I think would stimulate lots of interest among the members of the National Society of Persons with Disability (NSPD).{{more}}

This issue has to do with accountability. It involves information that was reported at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) by the treasurer of the NSPD. Here are the facts.

The treasurer announced at the Biennial Annual General Meeting about two (2) years ago that some monies were missing from the organization’s headquarters.

We as concerned members of the organization would want to find out if there are any efforts being made to retrieve those missing monies. We don’t know how much, if it were a large amount. We would want to find out if the organization has a bank account.

If so, why a large amount of money has to be kept at the office? According the organization’s constitution, only a small amount or petty cash should be kept at the office.

We the members of the organization would like to see proper financial statements for the past two years. In the future, all reports of the organization must be typed and be distributed among its members in advance. The organization is forging ahead quite smoothly. Other organizations want to adopt our organization as a good role model. If our acts and operations are not in order; if we do not project ourselves to the public in a transparent manner, we will not get new members and our organization will be dormant.

The inclusion of students with disabilities in the school system is critical to ensuring the integration of disabled persons into the mainstream of society. With the influx of disabled students gaining entrance into mainstream schools, we as educators and members of the NSPD must cater for their educational needs and welfare.

I can remember quite vividly that when I was attending the Teachers’ College, I was denied the rights of extra time to write my final examinations. I wrote to the relevant authorities but no one seems to know who the correct authorities really are.

Our disabled students are faced with several difficulties and the caregivers don’t know who to approach.

I have requested that an education committee in the NSPD discuss the concerns of these our students, but my request went unheard.

We have to wake up those who are sound asleep. We need to realize that there are intelligent persons in our organization. We must aim at passing the boundaries of the office and launch out into the deep of our nation to capture those 5000 disabled persons in our island.

We have to do something good for the betterment of ourselves and our blessed state, St.Vincent and the Grenadines.

Those who can see would have to use their eyes for those who can’t.

Those who are intelligent would have to use their intelligence for those who are less fortunate.

Let’s join hearts and hands and work together for the betterment of our organization.

NOW IS THE TIME FOR US, THE MEMBERS TO SPEAK OUT!

A Concerned Member