Floyd Morris | The forgotten Jamaicans in the labour market

Recently, at a function for the Jamaica Society for the Blind (JSB), the affable Minister of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information (MESYI), Dana Morris Dixon, spoke about her concern of employment for persons with disabilities. In her comments, she called upon the private sector to engage in the employment of persons with disabilities. For her, the prominent level of unemployment among persons with disabilities is unacceptable.

I want to welcome Minister Morris Dixon to this advocacy journey. For years, myself and others within the community of persons with disabilities have been advocating for the employment of persons with disabilities. The lack of employment is an existential threat to the participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in the mainstream of the Jamaican society.

Work and employment are now treated as a right for persons with disabilities under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Similarly, the Disabilities Act (2014) of Jamaica, gives legislative protection for persons with disabilities and requires that no discrimination takes place against persons with disabilities. Also, the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities that was established in 2000 stipulates that a minimum of five per cent of jobs in the public sector should be reserved for qualified persons with disabilities.

Notwithstanding these national and international commitments, employment remains an elusive dream for persons with disabilities. A 2015 socio-economic study of 1014 persons with disabilities, conducted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), showed 91.1% of the respondents being unemployed. A2024 study conducted by the University of the West Indies also pointed to similar levels of unemployment among persons with disabilities. The elevated levels of unemployment among persons with disabilities is taking place at a time when the national unemployment rate, according to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) stands at an all time low of 3.3 per cent.

HOUSE IN ORDER

While I agree with the call from Minister Morris Dixon, I would strongly urge her to get the Government to put its own house in order. With the public sector having over 120,000 employees; approximately 6,000 of these staff members should be persons with disabilities, based on the five per cent committed in the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities. I am prepared to make a guesstimate that less than fifty per cent of the established quota for persons with disabilities in the public sector is employed.

Undoubtedly, the private sector, in a market-driven economy, must lead the process of employment. However, there has been an age-old regressive view, among some neo-liberalists who are owners of capital, that persons with disabilities constitute defective labour. The view came out of the argument that once you have a permanent impairment, you are abnormal and therefore unable to perform at an optimum. Such atavistic view has no place in a modern society where technologies have advanced exponentially, facilitating the meaningful inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in all manner of activities.

Over the past 30 years, the world has seen a seismic shift in modern technologies to enhance the capacity of persons with disabilities. Whether it be the Job Access with Speech (JAWS) that converts texts to speech for persons who are blind, or the Dragon Naturally Speaking software that converts speech to texts for persons with physical disabilities, there are multitudinous software and devices that are now available to accommodate persons with disabilities at the workplace. It gets even sweeter for persons with disabilities as we are now seeing more technologies built with the concept of universal design.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN

Universal design is a philosophy where technologies, systems and facilities are developed to accommodate all users. With this approach, persons with disabilities can use the same technologies, systems, and facilities as those without a disability. A classical example of this universal design conception are smartphones. These have accessibility features built in the design and all it takes is for the person with disability to activate. There are multiple APPs that the person with disability using the smartphone can install to gain additional support.

In my daily work experiences, I use an iPhone that has a built-in speech programme. I have several apps added to it that helps me with things like facial recognition, directions, engaging in social media, sending, and receiving emails, among other things. All these APPs have enhanced my capabilities and allowed me to work efficaciously in my professorial job at the UWI and as a senator in the Parliament of Jamaica.

As Minister Morris Dixon joins the line of advocates for the employment of persons with disabilities, there are some things that I will strongly urge her to do:

1. To urge our government to implement the Code of Practice for Employment of Persons with Disabilities that has been drafted from 2020 and yet to be tabled in the Parliament.

2. To have the Government enforce the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities that was established in 2000 and stipulates that a minimum of five per cent of jobs in the public sector must be reserved for persons with disabilities.

3. Provide private sector companies with tax incentives to employ more persons with disabilities.

4. Make available, modern assistive technologies for students and employees with disabilities.

5. Provide research support for innovators to develop localized assistive technologies for persons with disabilities.

As Jamaica boasts of record employment levels, there is a story about a segment of the population that is being forgotten. These are persons with disabilities who want to be able to contribute to their country. Mechanisms must be established to ensure that members of this marginalized group are brought in the economic landscape of the country. We want meaningful employment, not charity.

Professor Floyd Morris is the director for the Centre for Disability Studies at UWI Mona. Send feedback to morrisfloyd@gmail.com