Statement| The Honourable Obediah H. Wilchcombe, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development extends deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late Ms. Iris Adderley, a Consultant with the Disability Affairs Division and long-standing advocate for persons with disabilities in The Bahamas.
“A champion to the cause, Ms. Adderley has not wavered in her advocacy and has been relentless in the pursuit of equality and inclusion for persons with disabilities, never allowing her own situation to hinder her ability to fight on behalf of those, more vulnerable members of our society, “said Minister Wilchcombe.
Following a car accident, which rendered Ms. Adderley wheelchair-bound, she returned to The Bahamas and became a leading advocate for the rights of the disabled and hosted a live call-in radio show called “Spotlight on Disability.”
Ms. Adderley has served on numerous committees in a consultative role such as the Task Force on Domestic Violence, the National Commission on Special Education, as well as the task force that framed the anti-discrimination legislation, known as the “Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities) Act of 2014.”
Ms. Adderley has also served as a Consultant to the Secretariat of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities to advance the human rights of the disabled community and retired during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020.
May she rest in peace!
