NASSAU, The Bahamas – Senator the Hon. Allyson Maynard Gibson, the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, has been recognized for her contribution to ensuring that blind or visually impaired individuals are employed.
The Bahamas Alliance for the Blind and Visually Impaired paid tribute to the Attorney General in song and dance and presented her with a plaque during its 20th anniversary Luncheon on Friday, March 31, at BCPOU Hall.
The Attorney General received the Distinguished Community Outreach Award in recognition of her “extraordinary” vision and commitment to empowering young individuals with visual impairments through gainful employment in the society.
In her response, the Attorney General thanked the Alliance and noted that she’s never received an award that is “more precious.”
She explained her personal commitment to the Salvation Army’s focus and the Erin H. Gilmour School for the Blind began with an appeal by Major Mason of the Salvation Army to allow sight-impaired individuals to take their place in society.
[Major Mason said] “In places all over the world [there are people] who are sight impaired and get up every day to go work and fully engage in society. Unless the government makes the commitment to engage sight-impaired people there would not be the full flowering of their potentials.
“I gave him my personal commitment,” she said, and hearing and sight impaired persons have been employed because of that commitment.
“It wasn’t just me, said the Attorney General: “There are people who work in government and the private sector whose eyes have been opened to the need for all of us to bring together to the table everybody’s gifts.”
BIS Photos/Derek Smith
