All School Development Projects Will Include Disability Access – NET

All infrastructure development projects for schools will comply with the Disabilities Act, says Executive Director at the National Education Trust (NET), Latoya Harris-Ghartey.

“What that means for us is that there will be [provisions for] bathroom access, there’s also access to the different floors if the schools have multiple floors. We have been doing that with our infrastructure work,” she told JIS News.

Mrs. Harris-Ghartey said that work is already being carried out to install chair lifts at several schools that have multiple floors.

“We’re currently working on putting in chair lift infrastructure at Sydney Pagon Academy in St. Elizabeth [and] at Mount St. Joseph’s High in Manchester,” she disclosed.

Works are also being carried out at Holmwood Technical High in Manchester and Bridgeport High in St. Catherine.

Construction is set to begin in short order at Exchange All-age in St. Ann, while approvals are pending from the municipal authority for Cedric Titus High and Albert Town High in Trelawny.

“In terms of designs, there are several schools we have in the design phase, that’s taking into consideration all the elements for disability access,” Mrs. Harris-Ghartey added.

She further indicated that 94 schools have wheelchair ramps, which were installed under the Wheelchair Ramps in School Project.

Mrs. Harris-Ghartey informed JIS News that there are schools that already have the necessary infrastructure to support students with disabilities.

“Cedar Grove Academy has a chair lift that has never been used and I think that school has been around a little bit now…at least five years or more,” she said.

She noted that the Ministry has instructed primary school administrators to pay keen attention to the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) registration forms and indicate whether or not a child has disabilities of any kind.

“This is so that the Ministry will be aware, when doing the placement for PEP, and they will put them [students] at schools that are already equipped going forward,” she said.

The NET is the agency of Government that mobilises resource and investments for the education sector.