The Millennium Highway and West Coast Road Project took a major step towards inclusivity recently as persons with disabilities assessed key sections of the US$43 million reconstruction for safety, accessibility, and comfort.
The initiative included a hands-on workshop at the Department of Infrastructure, Ports and Transport (DIPT) and a site visit, allowing representatives from the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) to provide direct feedback on infrastructure improvements.
During a visit to the Cul de Sac roundabout, NCPD members used specialised assessment tools to evaluate accessibility features and recommended modifications to better accommodate persons with disabilities.
“Infrastructure that works for people with disabilities works better for everyone,” said Helena Grdadolnik, the international disability inclusion expert who facilitated the sessions. “Including people with disabilities in Saint Lucia in assessing design and construction of infrastructure like this road is a way to check that what is being built works for everyone.”
In the afternoon, contractors, consultants, and DIPT officials participated in a workshop that incorporated NCPD members’ insights from the morning session.
Project Coordinator Amos Hippolyte explained the significance of this approach, saying, “By having persons with disabilities evaluate our progress firsthand, we gain insights that technical specifications alone can’t provide. Their lived experience helps us to better understand what truly inclusive infrastructure can be.”
This built on key recommendations and tools from a previous Assessment of Disability Inclusion in the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure. These include an infrastructure checklist and user assessment tool.
