MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Custos of Manchester Garfield Green wants all business establishments and public buildings to have sanitary convenience for able-bodied persons and similar facilities specially designed for use by the disabled.

Green, who was guest speaker at the official opening of the Central Regional branch of the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) in Mandeville on Friday, told guests amid applause, “every business place and every public building, including shopping malls, must have sanitary conveniences [and] these facilities must be fully and adequately maintained for the able and disabled.”

The custos cited Mandeville, the parish’s main town, as prime example of a place where basic public amenities were lacking, and suggested that there was insufficient care and concern for the welfare of members of the disabled community.

He noted: “Manchester is known to be an affluent parish, with a lot of well-to-do people…yet (he lamented) our leaders are unable to provide basic public convenience and services for disabled people, especially here.”

He went on to list some of the inconvenience endured by the public of Manchester and in particular disabled citizens whom he said “continue to face challenges and sometimes find themselves excluded from mainstream society”. He spoke of blocked sidewalks and limited access to public buildings and a lack of special transportation or provision for public parking for disabled persons.

Public Defender Arlene Harrison Henry, commenting on the OPD’s newest addition, said the aim was to bring the services of the Office of the Public Defender closer to the people of the communities.

The Mandeville branch, which is located at Shop G10 Annex Plaza at 7 Caledonia Road, will also serve the parishes of Clarendon and St Elizabeth. Along with the Kingston operations, the OPD also has an office in Montego Bay, St James.