Tinee Furbert Makes Maiden Speech In House

MP Tinee Furbert made her Maiden Speech in the House of Assembly, with the Junior Minister of Disability Affairs thanking those that assisted her, and appealing for everyone to “continue to enhance the quality of life for persons with disabilities.”

Ms Furbert, an Occupational Therapist, served as a Senator before winning the Constituency #4 St George’s South seat in this summer’s General Election.

“Today I would like to recognize three significant occasions; the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities which will be recognized on Dec 3rd, the pepper spraying of protesters and persons assembled outside of House of Assembly Grounds which occurred on Dec 2nd, and the Mindframe exhibit being showcased at the Bermuda Society of the Arts at City Hall from Nov 24th to Dec 12th, which is an exhibit of art work by persons with mental health disabilities. I encourage you to visit,” Ms Furbert said.

Audio of Maiden Speech

“What these three events represent is ‘Life is a fight’ fight on! Earlier this week I found myself weary saying I don’t feel like fighting anymore….still early days right.

“But there are two physiological reactions our bodies offer and that is fight or flight. I know I have been put on this earth to fight. Mr. Speaker, civil fighting is not a bad thing as it can bring us through some great obstacles as it did on July 18th. It can be very emotional, but emotions are not bad either it is how we interpret them, allow them to affect us and how we react to them.

Journey Through Life Has Not Been Without A Fight

“My journey through life has not been without a fight, with ups and downs like many, they say your life is your best teacher. And I have been taught many things; my mother’s love was everlasting despite her depression and addiction. Depression was what she developed from her experience of being abused as a child and a young lady and not feeling worthy enough, addiction was her coping mechanism.

“Her children were her first love and mind altering drugs became her second, but disguised as her first. Stability became more and more important to me, as I grew older as I hated moving house to house because the rent was not being paid, and having your hard earned summer employment money stolen from you with the suspect helping you to look for it. Me and my sisters had guardian angels surrounding us.

“I had applied to college when I knew I did not have access to funds, but was blessed with enough funds through scholarships and loans to start and complete college. I had to take 26 semester hours one semester to meet prerequisites to get into an occupational therapy program. I was one of the three black students in a class of 40 to graduate from Springfield College’s Occupational Therapy Program in 1999.

“At the tender age of 24, I had to take in my sisters when my mother said she couldn’t do it anymore and I fought for the resources my sisters needed to succeed. In March of 2016, during that most dreadful Pathways to Status week, I lost my mother to cancer, but she would be so proud to know, people stood on that Hill representing people like her. She would even be more elated to know her daughter is now the first occupational therapist to serve as part of the legislature in Bermuda.

Politics Didn’t Matter Much Growing Up, People Did

“You see I don’t have a lifeline of politicians in my family, but I have been surrounded by humanitarians. I did not grow up with family discussions of politics, our political affiliations were kept an untold story. So politics didn’t matter to me much growing up, but people did. People from all different backgrounds with different stories and abilities as we were all made special and amazingly. I would consider myself a doer and less of a jive talker as my actions were part of the formula to the victory of Constituency 4.

Thanks Constituents

“I would like to thank all the constituents of St. George’s South who participated in the election, and found me worthy of their selection. I would like to thank all the constituents, party members and parliamentary colleagues who encouraged and helped me pound the pavement to connect with people. To my executive branch members, in laws Mr. and Mrs. Furbert, my children, my husband, my godmothers, my family and friends and my sisters, thank you for your support. I owe my sincerest gratitude to you, you were and are my support system.

“After my success at the polls, I received a card that stated, ‘God has a habit of picking up nobodies and making them somebodies,’ and I thought to myself, why these choices of words in a card for me, as I never considered myself to be a nobody, I knew I existed on this earth for a purpose and that it didn’t matter what anyone thought of me as I had to be a somebody for myself; to make it through.

“I then read further in the card and it read ‘he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ’ Philippians 1:6, and then I was able to receive the message. I have been put on this earth to serve and I serve through my actions. On July 18th the people of Bermuda took a chance on hope again, they hoped that the Progressive Labour Party had the people in their party that would serve their best interest.

Given People With Disabilities Hope

“I would like to thank the Premier for acknowledging persons with disabilities, by being a leader and providing a direct contact in our legislature to disability affairs. Premier David Burt, you have given people with disabilities hope, and people who work with disabilities hope for a shift.

“I get calls daily for help, for resources, for directions, for navigation with the disabled population. I will continue to be an advocate for people because that is how this election was won by being an advocate for people.

“More recently I had to opportunity to take two young men with disabilities on a tour of Bermuda College with hope of them attending. Our initial contact was to tour the grounds to assess accessibility and resources needed for their success should they meet the entrance requirements.

“It was a joyous and life changing occasion; the young men who had both experienced trauma, one sustained injuries from a motor vehicle incident and the other sustained injuries from a diving incident. One was a power wheelchair user and the other was able to walk with a cane.

“It was great to have them around their peers again and to feel a sense of inclusion as they were greeted by past friends and listened to the contemporary music of the college grounds. They both felt at the end encouraged, the college campus was much more accessible and accommodating than I thought and maybe today they are in a different place. But those two young men needed a resource, someone to lead and guide them on that day.

“It was amazing to truly witness the ‘power’ of a power wheelchair to give mobility.

“I would like to thank the staff at Bermuda College, Ms. Algene Maybury, Dr. Lisa Osbourne, Dr. Phyllis Curtis-Tweed for being accommodating. Yes, there is more work to be done.

“You see it was not unusual for me to see students with disabilities on a college campus as that was a norm for me at my college. I was even the graduate student who worked in the academic resource center where I helped students with disabilities with assistive technology to access their curriculum.

“I have heard from many people with disabilities in Bermuda, who are discriminated against for job or learning opportunities or people in our community who feel they are not worthy of inclusion when they can’t even interpret the local evening news because there is no closed caption, or they are not afforded the opportunity for an interpreter to help them communicate their needs to a police officer.

“I have heard from parents of children with disabilities who are excluded out of decisions being made for their children when they should have every say. And I have heard from people saying access to entrances and exits of buildings or homes keep them captive.

 Resilient Society For All

“On Dec 3rd, we will acknowledge the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the 2017 Theme is ‘Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all.’

“The 2030 UN Agenda pledges to ‘leave no one behind’. Persons with disabilities, as both beneficiaries and agents of change, can fast track the process towards inclusive and sustainable development and promote resilient society for all.

“It is my hope Bermuda can move in this same way. Bermuda has made significant movement in the awareness and movement of persons with disabilities. Never fast enough for my liking, we still have so much work to do. I would be remiss to not raise that it was this government who made a concerted effort to:

• Include persons with disabilities with employment opportunities
• Permit an office for seniors and physically challenged now known as Ageing and Disability Services
• Permit a national policy on disabilities
• Attempt to find a solution with transportation
• Provide mainstreaming and special school opportunities

“You see disabilities are not going away, whether someone’s disability is temporary or permanent, congenital or acquired in youth, middle age or senior age, it will affect us sometime across the life span.

“May it be autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, Parkinson’s, a stroke, a motor vehicle injury, a gunshot injury, a back injury, blindness caused by diabetes, dementia, ADHD, dyslexia, schizophrenia or addiction to name a few.

Get In Habit Of Including Disabilities 

“It baffles me every time when persons are referring to human rights they consistently include race, sex, religion and now sexual orientation, but they consistently exclude disabilities.

“I want us to get in the habit of including disabilities and not in ways that I have witnessed in this house – by calling fellow house mates slow, retarded or hearing impaired. I do not take that language lightly, in fact I find it very offensive to those whom through no fault of their own experience cognitive disabilities or are hard of hearing.

“To even those who consistently park in disabled parking bays right on these very House premises, STOP IT! People with disabilities want and deserve respect and acceptance. Imagine living your whole life with challenges, being disregarded or feeling less than. We must value those with disabilities as valuable members in our society as they open our eyes and make life better for everyone else. How many of you used the elevator today?

“We need to continue to enhance the quality of life for persons with disabilities and we can do this by:

• Collecting current data on persons with disabilities
• Improving the home/school/community structural environment
• Improving social well being
• Improving rehabilitation opportunities
• Managing hobbies and activities
• Improving education & work opportunities
• Adopting the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
• Businesses designating staff who are looking out for persons with disabilities and creating disability policies in the workplace

“More importantly creating legislation for Disability Rights, right now accommodations are made out of the kindness of people’s hearts but people aren’t always kind, we have to tick that box that says “must” and not “should”.

“I would like to thank all the people, professionals, organizations, committees, parents, educators, leaders and persons with disabilities who have fought and continue to fight for persons with disabilities.

“It is my hope that we will one day have a Bermuda where we are no longer in the category of “not” available in your country tab. But we have to fight to get there. Thank you.”

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