December 3-9 is Disabilities Awareness Week

The Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) will be observing Disabilities Awareness Week 2022 from December 3 to 9 under the theme ‘Embracing the Disabilities Act Towards Inclusion’.

Executive Director of the JCPD, Dr. Christine Hendricks, told JIS News during a recent interview that activities will get under way on December 4 with a national church service at the William Knibb Baptist Church in Falmouth, Trelawny, starting at 9:00 a.m.

It will be livestreamed on the JCPD’s social media platforms and broadcast live on Power 106 FM.

On Monday, December 5, an information and edutainment expo will be held at Falmouth Square in Trelawny from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Departments from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, such as the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), National Insurance Scheme (NIS), Labour Market Information System (LMIS), and the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC), will participate.

Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) will also be on hand to process Tax Registration Numbers (TRN). Several private-sector entities, including hotels, are also scheduled to take part in the day’s activities.

On Tuesday, December 6, the Margaret Moody Scholarship Awards Ceremony will be held at the Alhambra Inn in Kingston.

Two tertiary-level students will be presented with scholarships and 12 others will continue to receive support to complete their fields of study.

The JCPD will engage a financial institution in discussion on how the entity can better embrace the Disabilities Act and be more inclusive in terms of employment and customer service to persons with disabilities. This is scheduled for December 7.

On December 8, the JCPD will make a presentation to the leadership of The Mico University College, looking at the implications of the Disabilities Act in ensuring and providing inclusive educational opportunities at the tertiary level, and the University of Technology (UTech) School of Allied Health and Wellness will collaborate with the Mustard Seed Communities to host a graduation ceremony for its long-distance learning training programme for caregivers.

Also on the day, the Ministry of Education and Youth’s Special Education Unit will host a virtual forum, looking at the implications of the Disabilities Act in the education system, from 2:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The week of activities will culminate on December 9 with a Founders Day activity by the Early Stimulation Programme (ESP) to honor those who initiated the institution, which benefits disabled children zero to six years old.

The event is scheduled to start 1:00 p.m. at the institution’s head office at 95 Hanover Street, Kingston.

“We look forward to the public celebrating with us,” Dr. Hendricks said.

“We want the public to be more understanding, be more aware of the value of the work of persons with disabilities and their contribution to nation-building.

“We want them to also be more sensitive about what the Disabilities Act requires, where the JCPD is now the statutory body with the responsibility to ensure the implementation of this Act, and to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are observed,” she added.

The week of activities commemorates International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, which was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992 and has been observed globally every year since then.