Wed | Dec 3, 2025

Rebuilding an accessible Jamaica must be more than a theme

Published:Wednesday | December 3, 2025 | 10:19 AM

THE EDITOR, Madam:

As Jamaica observes Disability Day today, under the theme “Rebuilding an Accessible Jamaica for All”, I write to highlight an urgent truth: accessibility and inclusion must move beyond slogans and become measurable national priorities.

Although Jamaica has strong legislation through the Disabilities Act (2014) and commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the lived reality for many persons with disabilities remains unchanged.

Reports continue to show that only 10 per cent of Jamaicans with disabilities are employed, despite training programmes, advocacy efforts, and years of policy development.

The barriers are consistent – limited access to education and assistive devices, transportation challenges, workplace discrimination, and a lack of public awareness about disability rights.

Many employers remain unaware that the law prohibits discrimination, and the limited enforcement of the Disabilities Rights Tribunal slows progress further.

If we are truly committed to rebuilding an accessible Jamaica, we must take concrete action.

I recommend:

  1. Setting public-sector hiring targets for persons with disabilities.
  2. Providing meaningful incentives to employers who adopt accessible hiring and workplace practices.
  3. Strengthening data collection so policymakers can track employment outcomes.
  4. Expanding public education on disability rights and the economic benefits of inclusion.

Persons with disabilities are not seeking charity – they are asking for equal access to opportunity. Employment empowers individuals, strengthens families, and contributes to national productivity.

Jamaica cannot achieve inclusive development while leaving thousands of capable citizens on the margins.

Let Disability Day 2025 be a turning point where policy becomes practice and accessibility becomes a lived reality for every Jamaican.

DENWORTH FINNIKIN

University Lecturer

Former Chairman, JCPD Advisory Board

denworth.finnikin@gmail.com