Government signs J$49m IDB agreement - Funds to be used to improve the lives of Jamaicans with disabilities

The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) on Friday signed a letter of agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approving a technical cooperation grant of US$572,000 (J$49.1 million) in support of improving the lives of persons with disabilities (PWD).

The funds are to be used to finance a project over the next 30 months which will seek to upgrade the existing database that would define and profile the disabled population in Jamaica while enhancing mechanisms targeted at these persons for social benefits.

"The grant funds will assist the GOJ in embarking on a countrywide registration programme of PWD in keeping with its commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities," said Audley Shaw, Minister of Finance and the public service, at the signing ceremony at the ministry's Heroes Circle offices.

Social benefits

"The registration process will allow us to determine the quality and quantitative nature of the assistance that is needed to be given to them," he added.

While the grant was secured by the IDB through the Japan Special Fund, the agreement will require the GOJ to provide counterpart funding in the amount of US$160,800, or J$13.8 million.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) estimates that at least 10 per cent of the population has some form of disability, but proper registration needs to be done.

The project, which comprise five components, will be implemented by the MLSS through the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD).

One component of the programme will involve building out the capacity of the JCPD to identify and target PWD for social benefits on a continuous basis by the establishment of a database. Under this component, the existing framework for the Government to formulate policies and programmes for PWD will also be enhanced.

A public education and promotion component is also being designed to encourage persons with disabilities to become registered, while also educating the general public on the registration exercise.

A third component will involve a comprehensive review of the beneficiary information system. Under this segment, two studies will be conducted to assess the needs of persons with disabilities who are impoverished. They will include an examination of the poverty dynamics in conjunction with the PATH programme and other cash-transfer programmes to determine the effectiveness of the programmes.

The other two components of the project will look at institutional strengthening of both the MLSS and the JCPD to provide rehabilitative assistance to PWD who are in need of such assistance.

An early stimulation component for children with disabilities will also be implemented. This will involve training workshops for parents, engaging the services of speech and occupational therapists to train staff and parents in the rehabilitation of children, as well as the purchase of educational materials and teaching and adaptive aids to facilitate effective teaching methods, which target children with development disabilities.