The National United Society of the Blind Barbados is calling on Government to provide better facilities for people with disabilities who use the roads.
Former president Rudyard Welch urged the adoption of international standards, not only for locals, but visitors who come to the island and are using canes or wheelchairs.
“We have the right to walk the streets morning, noon or night and the cane is how we can do that independently, efficiently and safely. It is an extension of our body and it keeps us safe while we are manoeuvring on the roads because the environment is not conducive to encouraging us to come out on the road more.
“However, if we can follow international protocols as we construct, that would make life a little easier, not just for cane users but persons who use wheelchairs and those with mobility challenges,” he added.
Welch said the 2010 indicated there were more than 15 000 people with disabilities living in Barbados and about two to three per cent of them had vision problems.
He was speaking on Saturday as the Society marked White Cane Awareness Day with a walk in Golden Square Freedom Park. (Nation News)