Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry of VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake on Monday afternoon met with Accessible Ventures of Louis Jeffers and his Team in connection with a request that was made to the Government of Sint Maarten about a piece of long lease government land.
Minister Lake signed the relevant documents on Monday providing Accessible Ventures a plot of land in the Suckergarden area that will be utilized by the company. The final act still has to be carried out at the Notary.
Jeffers established Accessible Ventures in 2005 after a personal family experience of the lack of service for individuals who have a physical disability. Jeffers decided he should do something about it after visiting the United States, and Accessible Ventures was born.
Jeffers said providing such a service hasn’t been easy, but with a great team, he has persevered and Accessible Ventures now provides services to a number of entities when required: White & Yellow Cross; Sister Basilia Center; Helping Hands; Port of St. Maarten and Princess Juliana International Airport.
In relation to the airport, the company provides wheelchair services – by picking up the person from their home and taking them to the airport; checking them in at their respective airline; assisting them through immigration and security; and taking them to the ramp and putting them on the aircraft that they would be flying with. Upon the person’s return to the island, Accessible Ventures is there at the airport to help the individual disembark the aircraft and take them straight to their home.
At the port, Accessible Ventures offers scooter wheel chairs for cruise passengers.
The plot of land that Accessible Ventures will receive will be used for the construction of an office; and serve as a parking depot for the company’s vehicles, and it would also allow for the vehicles to be properly maintained.
The primary focus according to Louis Jeffers is the local market by helping the physically disabled and seniors getting around to their various appointments.
On Monday, Jeffers thanked Minister Lake for assisting the company and to keep up the good work by bringing things back to basics.
Minister Hon. Maurice Lake on Monday stated that the physically disabled people of the country and seniors were one of his priority areas in providing the necessities in order to provide them with a better quality of life.
"As a country we have much to be thankful to our seniors. At the same time, individuals who suffer with a physical disability, whether young or old, must also have a better quality of life. We have to take care of our people and my going back to basics approach has this as a cornerstone of nation building.
"Accessible Ventures provides necessary services for these individuals and I applaud Louis Jeffers and his team for the wonderful work that they are doing. I am proud to be a part of the process to facilitate where they can even expand their services in the future by providing them with a plot of land where they can continue to help and assist our local people who suffer from a physical disability as well as our seniors who need assistance to get from one place to the next," Minster Hon. Maurice Lake said on Monday.
PHOTO CUTLINE: Minster Hon. Maurice Lake (4th from left), seated with Accessible Ventures Founder Louis Jeffers (5th from left) and his Team as well as members of the Minister’s Cabinet. DCOMM Photo