Disable community rallied on Labour Day

Persons in wheelchairs and wearing prostheses yesterday rallied to build ramps at the Portmore Self-Help Disability Organisation Mobility Resource Centre in Watson Grove.

The collective effort from persons with disabilities and able-bodied individuals also resulted in the trimming of hedges at the facility. The volunteers also joined hands in painting the resource centre.

Bridgette Johnson-Beckett, project manager, told THE STAR that roughly 35 persons participated in the day's effort.

The Portmore Self-Help Disability Organisation (PSDO) is dedicated to improving the quality of life of persons living with disabilities.

"It has been a dream of mine, having an organisation, and then we were concerned with members not being able to come out to meetings, and we wanted to know how we could assist. We realised that most persons had challenges with mobility, and as an organisation that caters to persons with disabilities, we had to ensure that we started this project to ensure that persons' mobilisation was intact," Johnson-Beckett said.

"If we don't have any ramps, people can't move around, and having a facility like this, we are able to accommodate, train and empower them," Johnson-Beckett added.

The Digicel Foundation and the Jamaica Public Service Company provided resources and manpower for yesterday's effort.