Legislator urges audit of access for the disabled at state facilities

With the rights of many disabled people being breached by some public and private entities which have failed to make access to their buildings a priority, one lawmaker has proposed that the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities undertake a comprehensive accessibility audit of every government facility, with clear timelines for corrective action.

Arguing that accessibility should not be an option for the disabled community, Denise Daley, Opposition spokesperson on gender, the elderly and persons with disabilities, said that by the end of this financial year every government ministry, agency and public building should have a published accessibility improvement plan.

“Accessibility remains one of the greatest barriers confronting persons with disabilities. Too many government buildings remain inaccessible to wheelchair users, including this Parliament. Too many entrances still have steps where ramps should be. Too many public facilities remain difficult, or in some cases impossible, to navigate independently,” Daley declared during her contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Gordon House on Tuesday.

Daley also called attention to the Government’s delay in reviewing the Disabilities Act, noting that the legislation stipulates that a joint select committee of Parliament should review the law no later than three years after its implementation.

“Since the act became effective on February 14, 2022, that review should have been completed by February 14, 2025. Yet, we are now well into 2026. The review remains outstanding. Indeed, even the committee responsible for conducting that review has not yet been established,” the Opposition spokesperson pointed out.

She questioned: “How much longer must persons with disabilities wait? How much longer must families wait? How much longer must children wait? Surely, the rights of persons with disabilities cannot simply be placed on hold.”

TOUCHING ISSUES

Daley told her parliamentary colleagues that one of the issues that touched her most while preparing her presentation, was the story of a mother whose child was still waiting to be assessed for a disability.

The MP for St Catherine Eastern said the child should now be preparing for secondary school, but, instead, valuable years had been lost while the family waits for an assessment.

“No child should lose years of learning because the system moved too slowly,” she added.

Noting that early diagnosis changes lives and positively impacts a child’s future, Daley suggested that the Government award scholarships to encourage more

teachers and professionals to pursue specialist training in disability assessment, special education, speech therapy, occupational therapy and educational psychology.

“We simply do not have enough trained professionals to meet the growing demand,” she observed.

Commenting on the stellar job done by the Hope Valley Experimental School in serving generations of Jamaican children with disabilities with distinction, Daley said the work done by this institution should be replicated.

“I therefore recommend that at least two schools in every parish be identified, upgraded and fully equipped to accommodate children with disabilities. These schools should receive the necessary physical infrastructure, specialised equipment, and assistive technology,” Daley noted.

She said if the Hope Valley model cannot be taken on board at this time, at least two classrooms in a similar number of educational institutions should be designated for disabled children, with trained personnel to provide inclusive education, while supporting integration with the wider education system

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com