What about children with disabilities?

By Jaevion Nelson

PEOPLE with disabilities (PWD) represent one of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups of people in Jamaica. They are often uneducated, live in extreme poverty and hunger, and are often at serious risk of discrimination and violence.

There was a glimmer of hope during the last general election because there was sign language interpretation at almost every major political rally. It appeared our leaders were finally ready to recognise the citizenship of over 160,000 Jamaicans who have one or more forms of disability, as they courted the interests of those deemed differently abled with their messages of "hope" and "people power". I thought this was the beginning of a period where more than 80 per cent of our children who are living with disabilities and have been excluded from our education system might have an 'equal' chance to share the 'Jamaican Dream' Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller spoke about in her 2006 inaugural speech.

I was hopeful because the prime minister spoke very strongly about the needs of the disabled community on several occasions and it was under her leadership Jamaica became the first of two countries to ratify the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in July 2007. She was also at one point the minister in charge of policy issues for the PWD. However, not much has been done for these persons, especially the children.

At the onset of Child's Month, I must bring to our attention this grave situation as we argue about the best strategies to make Jamaica a developed country through the full development of our people. The paradox is that these conversations and strategies almost always ignore those who are most vulnerable and marginalised.

Authors Susan B. Rifkin and Pat Pridmore (2001) argue that "education is a powerful tool for the economic empowerment of people with disabilities because people who lack education/information often lack power and lack choices about how to improve their lives." According to UNICEF (2004), these children have little opportunity to enjoy their right to an education, as stipulated in the Child Care and Protection Act as well as the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, because less than 15 per cent of them are enrolled in government schools. This is not very surprising considering the findings of the 2011 Report on Access and Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities in the Jamaican Education System conducted by Senator Floyd Morris.

NO BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE

I fully agree with that lovely 'every child can learn, every child must learn' billboard carefully erected outside the Ministry of Education (MOE), but is this possible when the majority of schools do not have a basic infrastructure for some? According to the UWI study, out of 84 schools surveyed, only 23.3 per cent have ramps and 83.3 per cent have no bathroom facilities for the disabled. A mere three per cent are equipped with adaptive technologies such as Job Access with Speech software (JAWS), for those with visual impairment. Over 80 per cent of schools do not provide students with disabilities with reading and examination materials in an accessible formats such as Braille. Clearly, this is one of the reasons why so few PWD are employed and enrolled in tertiary institutions.

It's not all doom and gloom. The government has some special-education programmes in schools and some vocational institutions for persons with disabilities. There is a National Policy for Persons with Disabilities, Special Education Unit at MOE, and an Early Stimulation Programme. However, I propose that the education minister enforce the Education Act, specifically around infrastructure to review the School Building Code as it relates to the installation of ramps and other facilities; requisite technology within schools for persons with disabilities to be implemented. Mandatory training on how to relate to PWD in the classroom and the completion and enactment of the National Disabilities Act would be welcomed.

More important, as proffered in the UWI study, the Government is to enforce the policy of all new schools to be built with the necessary access features for persons with disabilities; ensure every constituency has at least one primary and one high school that is fully accessible to persons with disabilities and make available to all schools that are accessible to persons with disabilities.

Providing opportunities for full and equal social, civic and economic participation is beneficial not only to youth with disabilities, but also to the general population. These are some of the very people who, if given the right opportunity, can substantially contribute to the country's development and economic growth.

Jaevion Nelson is a youth development, HIV and human rights advocate. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and jaevion@gmail.com.