Blind community raises concerns over road conditions, accessibility challenges

Representatives of the Guyana Association for the Visually Impaired are calling for urgent attention to road infrastructure, pedestrian behaviour, and public attitudes, warning that several conditions along Guyana’s roadways create serious challenges for persons who are blind or visually impaired.
The concerns were raised during the “Road Safety and You” programme hosted by the chairman of the Guyana National Road Safety Council, Earl Lambert, where the President of the Guyana Association for the Visually Impaired, Leon Amsterdam, and senior member Andrew Greene discussed difficulties members of the blind community face while navigating public spaces.
Amsterdam explained that many roadways and pedestrian walkways were not designed with persons with disabilities in mind, making movement difficult and sometimes dangerous.

“To commence with, I do not think with the construction of the roads today, I don’t think the engineers would have catered for people who are challenged,” he stated.
He noted that poor infrastructure across parts of Georgetown continues to pose risks.
“Pavements are not properly done up to accommodate comfortably people who are blind,” Amsterdam said, while adding that “there are sometimes uncovered manholes in the city of Georgetown, which pose a big danger and a risk to people who are using the roadways.”
According to him, these conditions often force visually impaired persons to alter how they move through the city.
“Because of the fact that persons might have had an experience whereby they would have stepped into a manhole, they tend to walk more on the roads,” he explained.
The association also highlighted the impact of vending on pavements, which they said limits pedestrian access to sidewalks and forces people into traffic.
“We have also, because of the economic situation that is facing the country, a lot of vending taking place,” Amsterdam said. “The people who are vending… all they’re concerned about is their stalls, so someone will attempt to pass the stall and the person collides with the stall… What that causes is people now using the roadway not to want to walk in the way of these stalls, thus endangering themselves.”
Amsterdam said the challenges are made worse by the rapid increase in vehicles using Guyana’s roadways.
“There is a craziness in terms of the importation of vehicles in this country,” he said, explaining that the road network has not expanded at the same pace as vehicle imports. “The roads are not built fast enough with the amount of vehicles that are imported in this country, and that by itself poses a very serious risk because we are now having more vehicles and fewer roads.”
Beyond infrastructure issues, Amsterdam also criticised the behaviour of some drivers, stating that a lack of courtesy and patience on the road often puts vulnerable pedestrians at risk.
“There is a culture in this country where people are generally selfish,” he said. “They care only about themselves… they care not about pedestrians; they care not about the blind; they care not about cyclists.”
He further pointed out that basic principles of responsible driving appear to have been forgotten by many road users.
“When I was driving, the emphasis was heavily on the five Cs… care, courtesy, common sense, caution, and consideration,” Amsterdam stated, adding, “To my mind, the five Cs are absent with drivers.”
According to Amsterdam, the issue is not only about accidents but also about the limitations imposed on persons with disabilities who must navigate unsafe or poorly designed environments.
“The issue right now is removed from accidents to the vulnerability that exists for the blind and visually impaired people,” he said.
He explained that many persons in the blind community avoid travelling independently because proper systems are not in place to support them.
“The people who are blind and visually impaired are simply scared to use the road because proper systems are not in place to cause the roads to be blind-friendly,” Amsterdam said, noting that the situation prevents them from living normal, independent lives.
“They are not allowed to live their normal lives, so the issue right now is removed from accidents… to the vulnerability that exists for the blind and visually impaired people, which obviously causes them not to be able to do their normal chores, and they cannot live normal lives like people who are sighted,” he added.
During the programme, Andrew Greene, a senior member of the association who became blind in 2002, also shared insights into the challenges faced by visually impaired persons.
“I became blind in September 2002, and I’ve been a member of the organisation since then,” Greene said. “Even accepting blindness is very important because it allows you to readjust your modus operandi and to have a better understanding or better relationship with persons who are sighted.”
Greene also highlighted the importance of preserving eyesight and educating the public about preventable causes of blindness.
“One of the tenets… was the preservation of sight because most sighted persons tend not to know how to preserve their sight,” he explained.
He also pointed to environmental factors such as dust particles which may affect eye health, particularly in developing regions.
“I would have observed that in third-world countries where there are a lot of dust particles in the air… that by itself affects a person’s sight,” Greene noted.
Amsterdam emphasised that addressing the challenges faced by visually impaired persons will require cooperation among several stakeholders, including the Guyana Police Force, engineers responsible for road design, municipal authorities, and vendors who operate along sidewalks.
“There needs to be a consultation or a collaboration of effort amongst ourselves… that’s the blind and visually impaired, police, the city engineer, and even people who are vending,” he said.
He stressed that sensitisation of the wider public is also critical to improving safety and accessibility for persons with disabilities.
“People need… a whole metamorphosis,” Amsterdam stated, adding that greater awareness and proper upbringing could help foster more considerate behaviour toward vulnerable road users.
The Guyana Association for the Visually Impaired provides services to persons who are blind or visually impaired, including rehabilitation for individuals who lose their sight and programmes aimed at preventing blindness through screenings and public education.
According to Amsterdam, the organisation currently has approximately 60 members and holds statutory meetings on the first Saturday of every month at its location at 107 Lamaha Street, Georgetown.