Gov’t Prioritises Digital Inclusion for Persons With Disabilities

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security will be focused on three main priorities over the next 12 to 24 months as it ramps up initiatives to ensure digital inclusion for persons with disabilities.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., in outlining the imperatives, said the first is “access with purpose”, ensuring that every new ICT access point is supported with adaptive technologies and user-friendly onboarding so that persons with disabilities can benefit from day one.

The second priority is facilitating skills for independence. “We will scale up training in assistive technologies for blind and low-vision users, for deaf and hard of hearing communities, and those with mobility or cognitive challenges,” he outlined.

The third priority centres on ensuring accessibility by default.

“The Disabilities Act in Jamaica dictates that public services must be accessible, including digital services, which must be accessible from the start,” Minister Charles Jr. said.

He was speaking at a workshop for persons with disabilities during the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Week 2025, on Thursday (October 2), at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

The workshop featured hands-on demonstrations of ICT devices, assistive technologies and applications, and the sharing of information that can help persons with disabilities lead independent lives.

Facilitators also spoke to participants about emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), and the importance of staying safe online.

In his keynote speech prior to the start of the workshop, Mr. Charles Jr. pointed out that approximately 15 per cent of Jamaicans, or 450,000 people, live with some form of disability.

“It is a reminder that persons with disabilities are in every classroom, every workplace, every community across our land… and deserve full inclusion. It is our duty to ensure that the digital tools shaping our future are designed for everyone, leaving no one behind,” the Minister said.

He noted that the Government is committed to digital inclusion and is working with partner agencies to expand access to assistive technologies, digital literacy, and connectivity solutions for persons with disabilities.

He said that the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), has conducted accessibility audits of key government websites and platforms, bringing Jamaica closer to international standards.

“Looking ahead, we are preparing a joint declaration of intent with the United Nations Development System, which will strengthen policy, disability data, institutional capacity, and resource mobilisation for sustained impact,” the Minister said.

He noted that at a regional level, Jamaica is helping to set important ICT benchmarks.

“Through the Bureau of Standards Jamaica, we have adopted eight international ICT accessibility standards as Jamaican standards. That is a bold step towards building a culture of accessibility by default,” the Minister affirmed.

In her remarks, Executive Director of the JCPD, Dr. Christine Hendricks, said that the theme of this year’s ICT Week, ‘Driving Change, Connecting Futures’, resonates deeply with the mandate of the JCPD, which is committed to creating a future where persons with disabilities have equitable access to the tools, opportunities, and connectivity that ICTs provide.

Dr. Hendricks emphasised that digital transformation must be inclusive by design and should address the needs of persons with physical, intellectual, mental, hearing, and visual disabilities.

“This means prioritising not only physical but communication and information accessibility, promoting assistive technologies, and ensuring that the voices and needs of all persons with disabilities are central to policy development and implementation,” she stated.

The JCPD Head maintained that connectivity must serve humanity as a collective.