Honorees for 2008

ANTON LAFOND :
He was named Trinidad and Tobago's "Unsung Hero" in 2007 for his admirable and ongoing work in seeking better conditions for the elderly and disabled.
Anton Lafond, 57, a self-styled advocate for the elderly and disabled, has been conducting, for several years, a one-man crusade intended to sensitize the powers-that-be, as well as members of the public, to the importance of providing adequate facilities and accessibility for the elderly and disabled in Trinidad and Tobago.
Born in St James, where he still resides on Calcutta Street, Anton was educated at Fatima College and the John S Donaldson Technical Institute. He left for London, England in 1987 to attend the City University and Chartered Institute of Transport from which he emerged as a Degree-Member of the Chartered Institute of Transport (MCIT) with a Major in Transport Policy and Planning.
He also attended the Cranfield Institute of Technology in England where he was trained in planning transportation for persons with mobility handicaps. At the Borough Hackney County Council Anton received training in policy and planning, as well as accessibility to public buildings for the disabled. At various social organizations in New York and Washington States in the USA he studied accessibility and facilities for the elderly and disabled at ports of entry.
Anton, vice chairman on the Board of the Woodbrook Youth Facility, has shared his expertise locally with the Tourism and Industrial Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (TIDCO), now known as the Tourism Development Company (TDC); Ministry of Community Development (Disability Affairs Unit); and the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) where he trained drivers to assist the elderly and disabled with implementation of the "Dial-a-Ride" system.
His work experience include stints with the Department of Transport, and General Electric Company in England, while locally he has worked as a Motor Vehicle Inspector with the Licensing Division of the Ministry of Works and Transport; and offered consultancy services to TIDCO, BWIA, and the University of the West Indies (UWI). He has also given of his professional know-how to Topeka, a firm in Kansas, USA; the National Carnival Commission (NCC); Sagicor; and the Trinidad and Tobago Mortgage Finance Company (TTMF).
Between 1998 and the present, Anton has written several publications, penned columns for the daily newspapers, and appeared on Talk Shows on local radio stations. His publications include "Disaster Preparedness for the Disabled," "Law and Disabled Drivers," and "Help for Elderly Drivers."
He maintains professional affiliations with the Chartered Institute of Transportation in England, and the Institute of Road Transportation Engineers, Institute of Transport Administration, and Institute of Transport Engineers in the USA.
Anton lectures at the Department of Civil Engineering at UWI, but finds time to visit and look after the needs of a paralyzed 17-year-old male who is not receiving adequate care from his caregivers. He also organizes visits by social workers in order to secure improved care for the young man.
Additionally, he has been assisting a young mother, disabled by an accident, by providing spiritual support and seeking her interest in the court battle that resulted from the accident. An avid runner, who participates regularly in local marathons, Anton also coaches and mentors a disabled runner who has completed an astounding 30 marathons.
"Anyone, at anytime, could become disabled through accident, injury or by age," he reminded. "Therefore, we should be aware of the struggles that the disabled and elderly face in our society. It should make us want to create a better environment for all."
Anton believes that only a change in attitude by all sectors of the society will result in any serious thought being given to the elderly and disabled. While he commends the groups and individuals that are making attempts to look after the needs of these people, he still is of the view that not enough is being done.
"If we look around carefully we will see how large a percentage of the population is, indeed, a senior citizen," he pointed out. "And anyone who has truly observed how we treat our elders must admit that we have a long way to go still.
"In spite of having made their contributions to the society, resulting in the way of life we now enjoy, these people are shown no consideration whatsoever in the areas of transportation and accessibility. They are still made to suffer in the lines at supermarkets, when they go to collect pensions, at banks, in public buildings, on the streets awaiting transportation, and in so many other areas of life, that it is painful to enumerate."
He contends that government must take the initiative to bring under one umbrella body all the groups that are making contributions towards assisting the elderly and disabled. The Ministry of Social Development, he believes, is the department to get the groups together and form a committee to look at the serious aspects of transportation and accessibility for the elderly and disabled.
He further contends that improper planning by government is responsible for the untenable situation that exists today for the physically challenged and senior citizens. He said their special needs are never incorporated in government planning, citing unsuitable public transport buses and inaccessibility to government buildings as two major examples.
Anton is appealing to every citizen, young and old, to pay attention to what is being done to the elderly and disabled.
"This is a matter of conscience and of humanity," he stressed. "Every citizen should look at a physically challenged person, regardless of the nature of the disability, and say to themselves, ‘there, but for the grace of God, go I.' Maybe that would trigger the inherent good that is in all of us to give aid to our distressed fellowmen."