By Barbara Gayle, Staff ReporterMEMBERS OF the Paraplegic Development and Outreach Foundation (PARADOF) are calling on the Government to make courthouses and other government buildings accessible to the disabled.
They voiced their disgust at the situation yesterday morning when they turned up outside the Resident Magistrate's Civil Court at Sutton Street, downtown Kingston to support Heather Little-White, the food and nutritionist expert who uses a wheelchair. She had a case in the tax court.
Dr. Little-White, who was summoned to court after she was assessed for General Consumption Tax (GCT), was unable to go into the courtroom upstairs because no one was available to lift her in the wheelchair. Fear was also expressed that the chair could be damaged or she could be hurt in the process.
Attorney-at-law Jacqueline Cummings, who is representing her, told Resident Magistrate Owen Parkin that her client was downstairs but could not enter the courthouse.
Dr. Little-White was left crippled after she was held up and shot by gunmen on July 6, 1999 when she went to visit a friend in Norbrook, St. Andrew. Organisations and individuals made contributions to assist with her surgery overseas.
Ms. Cummings submitted in court that the GCT assessment was made on the money in her bank account which were donations for her surgery. She said her client applied and obtained a 90 per cent waiver. However, her client was told she had to pay $143,000 in GCT. She cannot take up the waiver until she has paid a half of the $143,000. She said her client was making attempts to pay $20,000 monthly.
The judge put off the case until June 30.
DISGUST
While the case was being mentioned in court, Errington Pellington, founder and director of PARADOF, expressed disgust with the situation which faces the physically challenged in the society. He questioned how Dr. Little-White could be asked to pay tax on benevolent donations.
Mr. Pellington said he was a taxpayer and it was a shame that the Government had overlooked the plight of the disabled in the society. He pointed out that Tuesday was 'Rights Day' and "I did not hear the Prime Minister making any mention in Parliament as to what was being done to improve the way of life for the disabled."
He is hoping that at the Caribbean Conference on the disabled to be held from May 11 to 13 this year, plans will be made to improve the plight of that community.
