Sidewalk ‘death traps’ worry disability advocate

Chairman of the Jamaica Society for the Blind, Daemion McLean, said it's a miracle that members of the blind community are able to escape death or being seriously injured in holes along some of the country's sidewalks.

McLean said the holes present clear danger to members of the disabled community, particularly blind and visually-impaired persons who often fall in them. He pointed to two craters in the Corporate Area, which he wants fixed urgently. One of the craters is located near the intersection of Windward Road and Homestead Drive in Kingston, and on Golding Avenue, near the Irvine Hall gate entrance to The University of West Indies (UWI), Mona campus.

On Sunday, the residents reported that a visually-impaired man who was returning from church fell into the hole along Windward Road. A video captured by a motorist's dash cam showed the man taking a hard fall into the 'ditch', hitting his face on the concrete.

"Put it this way, there are angels walking with us on a daily basis. The one at UWI goes back to at least last May, because one of my colleagues fell in it last May. For people to [not] drop in those holes and escape serious injuries or death is a miracle. To be walking and just unexpectedly fall inna sumpn like this means that you must be more than fortunate," McLean said.

McLean stressed that the extent of the danger is infinite as it ranges from small scrapes to death. He said he is imploring the relevant authorities to rectify the issues, adding that he has written to several entities regarding the matter but is yet to get a response.

A vendor who operates from the Irvine Hall gate entrance, told THE STAR that he has to keep a lookout for the blind and visually impaired students who often use the sidewalk.

Similarly, a man who lives close to where the Windward Road incident took place, said Sunday's occurrence is one of many. He told THE STAR that on several occasions, he and others have assisted the elderly and visually impaired who travel along the space.

"Whole heap a time all car man drop down in there. A nuff time old people drop down in there and there is a basic school nearby, suh it is even a big risk for the small children. A nuff time we stand up out here suh to help people cross wen dem a pass because a nuff time people drop in it. Something needs to be done about it because a from before COVID it stay suh. Two other breakaway deh on this same stretch too, and we just want the Government to fix dem before somebody dead," the man said.