Bermuda and Bermudians care a great deal about their access. In some ways they are correct but both access and concern for the handicapped are a great deal more prevalent in Bermuda than they once were. Since the public awareness created by the Year of the Handicapped, Bermuda has taken much more care. We do not think it is enough but it is an improvement.

As an example, the Corporation of Hamilton has gone a long way to make City Hall accessible. The Corporation's best attempt was only a partial victory but the Corporation did try and it did respond when asked to try. However there is still no wheelchair access to the West Exhibition Room, which houses the Bermuda Society of Arts, to the lavatories, or internally between the theatre and the foyer. The Bermuda National Gallery has no wheelchair access to its upper levels.

The Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs, the Hon. Leonard Gibbons, told the House of Assembly last Friday that Government's goal was to remove physical and mental barriers preventing disabled people from participating fully in community life.

We fully agree with that idea, we urge the minister to stick with it and we hope it will come about. The handicapped think it is taking a long time. It does take time to adapt because it is expensive and because Bermuda has a large number of public buildings which are not friendly to the handicapped and which are difficult to adapt, like the House of Assembly.

The media, especially this newspaper, has brought the plight of the disabled to public attention time and again. There have been results which we see all around but the results are not enough. We all owe a great debt to the late Miss Margaret Carter, founder of the Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association, who worked hard right up to her death for her cause.

It is the contention of the physically handicapped that all public buildings and public transportation should be wheelchair accessible. Ideally, they would like similar access to cinemas and restaurants just like everyone else.

On the issue of making all public transportation accessible, the Hon. Ralph Marshall, Minister of Transport, has admitted that Government had "no time frame'' for this. While his Ministry wanted to do something about the public buses in the long term, it was "a very complicated thing''. We think the Ministry should have a time frame.

Part of the solution is access to all new buildings. Bermuda really needs to ensure that for the future. It can be expensive but it is the correct thing to do. Do not pass plans for public buildings which are not wheelchair friendly.

Access Awareness Week may make the rest of us feel good but years of frustration and disappointment have left the physically handicapped unconvinced that this year's promises will significantly improve their lot any time soon. Meaningful progress is what they continue to seek. It is also what they should get.