A human rights advocate reminded the public yesterday that they could not break down discrimination without listening to those being discriminated against.

Lisa Reed, the executive director of the Bermuda Human Rights Commission, said that people affected by problems had to be involved with the solutions aimed at helping them.

She added that while disabled people had legal protections against discrimination and proper accommodations, the lived experiences of those with disabilities on the island did not reflect this.

Ms Reed said: "Disability remains one of the most frequent complaints of discrimination received by the commission.“

Ms Reed was speaking during a Hamilton Rotary Club meeting, where she gave a presentation on social inclusion.

Ms Reed, who uses a mobility scooter, said the Human Rights Commission worked to make sure institutions complied with anti-discrimination laws and kept people abreast of their rights.

She said that the commission’s most common complaints were centred on race, gender and disability.

She added, however, that all “protected characteristics” had been touched on, from marital status to criminal records.

Ms Reed explained that disability rights were enshrined under the Human Rights Act 1981 in 1998 and strengthened with amendments in 2012.

She added, however, that many did not have access to certain mobility accommodations and that they were ultimately left out of the conversations about their own support.

Ms Reed reminded the club that disability was “part of the human experience” and could affect anybody at any point in their lives.

These disabilities overall affected 1 in 4 people, she explained, and that one’s chances of facing a disability increased with age.

Ms Reed added that barriers were created by social conditions, not by medical ones.

She said: “Disability is not a limitation — it’s the barriers that limit people.”

Ms Reed said that the best way to ensure that people with disabilities — and anyone who faced discrimination — had their rights fully realised was through inclusive actions.

She explained that disability inclusion recognised how a lack of accessibility prevented certain people from participating in society and breaking down those barriers.

Ms Reed called on the public to call out any forms of discrimination or harassment they witness and bring it forward to the Human Rights Commission.

She reminded employers and service providers that they had a responsibility to remove physical, systemic and attitude barriers that could prevent people from participating.

Ms Reed also called on people to go beyond the legal minimum to create “truly inclusive spaces” and the be an advocate for those who face discrimination.

She added that people with disabilities could not be treated as an afterthought.

Ms Reed said: “Based on my life experiences as a person with a disability, I know first-hand how exhausting it is to be met with obstacles to the fulfilment of one’s desires.

“Inclusion should not be a matter of personal privilege — it should be a shared societal responsibility.”