Gov’t Reviewing Proposals to Enhance Telecoms Services for Persons with Disabilities

The Government is currently reviewing proposals designed to enhance telecommunications services for persons with disabilities islandwide.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., made the disclosure while addressing a workshop for persons with disabilities, held on Thursday (October 2) at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, as part of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Week 2025.

“Beginning this quarter, and continuing throughout 2026, the JCPD (Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities) will be partnering with Ministries, with regulators, telecoms operators, and disability organisations to deliver a practical package of actions,” he stated.

The Minister noted that several strategic proposals are currently under consideration as part of a Telecoms Accessibility Partnership Framework.

Mr. Charles explained that the Framework will “establish Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with carriers and internet service providers to integrate accessibility into the product design and customer care from the start”.

“This includes priority service flags for registered persons with disabilities who are customers, accessible bills and contracts, and trained front-line agents,” he further outlined.

Mr. Charles noted that the Government is also exploring accessible connectivity pilots.

“We will launch targeted pilots in selected constituencies to bundle data plans with subsidised assistive technology for eligible users. These pilots will test devices and test the device compatibility, onboarding support, and offer measurable outcomes such as employment, education, and also access to health,” the Minister stated.

Mr. Charles added that the Government also intends to implement a National Relay and Captioning Expansion Initiative.

A relay service is an operator-assisted telephone facility that enables people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities to communicate with standard telephone users.

Captioning provides a text version of audio content, making it accessible by converting dialogue, sounds, and other non-speech audio cues into written words on a screen.

Minister Charles assured that the Government “will work across and with sector partners to strengthen the relay services and expand availability of live captioning for public broadcast and government streaming, including clear information on how to activate these features”.

Another proposal under review involves the development of a Public Wi-Fi Accessibility Checklist.

This initiative would see the Ministry collaborating with the Universal Service Fund (USF) and municipal partners to ensure that public hotspots feature accessible portals, screen reader compatibility, clear signage, and onsite virtual user support.

Minister Charles shared that the national emergency alerts system is currently being reviewed for an inclusivity upgrade.

“We have to collaborate with ODPEM (Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management) and telecoms providers to ensure that where there are national alerts, those alerts are accessible, including multimodal delivery for deaf, blind, and low-vision communities and people with cognitive disabilities,” he added.