Braille birth certificates coming for the visually impaired
Published:Friday | May 19, 2023 | 12:07 AM
VISUALLY IMPAIRED Jamaicans may soon be able to access their birth certificates in braille.
Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Floyd Green, announced on Tuesday that the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) is taking steps to print birth certificates in braille for persons who are blind.
He said that the plan would be executed through partnerships with the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), the Jamaica Society for the Blind, and other relevant stakeholders.
According to Green, this move represents a pioneering effort within the English-speaking Caribbean.
In a wide-ranging contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Gordon House on Tuesday, Green also signalled the Government’s plans to introduce online will drafting and recording through the Administrator General’s Department.
He noted that a number of Jamaicans had died with assets, especially land, but never prepared a will.
In his recent contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck pointed out that the Administrator General’s Department was managing properties worth $50 billion as persons had died without a will and there were lengthy family disputes over how the estates should be shared.
Green also announced that starting in September, the RGD would be rolling out its online application for first free birth certificates. With approximately 36,000 births per year, Green said that more than 30,000 mothers can make an application from the comfort of their homes.
Turning to the National Identification System (NIDS) project, Green said that the Government was at an advanced stage in the procurement process to select a vendor to implement a civil registration solution to manage the end-to-end registration and issuance of birth, marriage, deed poll, and death records at the RGD.
“The Government, therefore, intends to enter into a contract with the successful vendor in this financial year to advance the project once the ongoing competitive procurement process is completed. Once this project is completed, Jamaicans will experience quicker and more efficient services,” he said.
With plans to roll out NIDS over the next six months, Green said the Government would go to tender to select contractors to start the modification of an additional 19 post offices to expand access to the national identification card.
“We are presently finishing the enrolment centre at the Post Office Mall in Liguanea and will break ground for Mona and Constant Spring. We will be utilising the space at our post offices to create modern, state-of-the art enrolment facilities,” he said.