The equal inclusion of people with disabilities (PwD) into the fabric of Barbadian life is central to the NTI’s advocacy. We envision a Barbados that is fully supportive, inclusive and accessible. In our advocacy on behalf of PwD, we challenge Barbadians to ensure that all parking lots in Barbados have accessible parking for PwD, we confront infrastructural planning that disregards the needs of PwD, and we create an accessible space both online and face-to-face where PwD can upskill professionally, with ease.

An essential advocate for PwD is Maria Holder-Small, NTI Change Artivist and a former President of the Barbados Council for the Disabled. She brings a comprehensive understanding to the challenges of PwD through accessibility training and awareness. Gain insight into the worlds of people who live with disabilities through Maria’s Disability Etiquette and Social Inclusion training as well as inspired social media campaigns. Learn about different types of disabilities, both visible and invisible, discover the challenges persons with disabilities face and how best to respectfully approach and interact with them.

Most recently, she has delivered training for the Barbados Transport Authority after kicking off face-to-face training for tourism teams at The Barbados Workers’ Union in July 2020. Since then, she appeared on The People’s Business, March 2021, and also led the NTI’s collaboration with Barbados Council for the Disabled’s PWD Parking Campaign campaign.