Labour Ministry aims to gather data to improve help for people with disabilities

 

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security says it is still unable to effectively use data to determine whether the government is compliant with the mandatory five per cent quota for employment of people with disabilities in the public sector.

 

Speaking Sunday on Radio Jamaica's weekly news review programme, That's a Rap, Labour and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles Jr. explained that his Ministry is in discussions with the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) to gather and utilise data on people with disabilities.

 

Mr. Charles is also encouraging persons with disabilities to become members of the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) which would help the government to account for them. 

 

"We are able to track the membership of the JCPD. But for those persons who are persons with disability, but are not members, it is difficult. So again, what I can say with certainty is that we have a great room for improvement, and it will require us to be steadfast in terms of our public awareness campaigns, to be very deliberate and strategic in terms of trying to drive the gathering of data, which will help us not just with seeing if we are achieving 5%, but also in moments where we have disasters or any natural disaster issue, we will know where the persons with disabilities are, what their situation is, and what kind of support they require," he outlined. 

 

While noting that there is no quota for hiring people with disabilities in the private sector, Mr. Charles noted that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security has started the "I am Able" initiative to promote inclusion.

 

He explained that the programme will be officially launched this year, which will result in companies receiving a visible sign that they have been verified by the Ministry as meeting accessibility standards for people with disabilities.  

 

Mr. Charles further stated that his Ministry will be offering incentives to organisations that are accessible to people with disabilities.

 

"Right now, persons with disabilities have incentives in terms of tax relief, because or when they are members of the JCPD, but we are looking into the possibility of employers who are at particular standards of accessibility and who we can say are representing the output and the achievements that we want from the [Disabilities] Act, for them to also be acknowledged. But that's something which is at the preliminary stage," he stressed.