More Than 6,000 Persons with Disabilities Benefit from Training and Grants in 2023/24

More than 6,000 persons with disabilities benefited from training, assistive devices, and economic empowerment grants, during Financial Year 2023/24.

This was disclosed by Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., during his contribution to the 2024/25 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, on Wednesday (May 29).

Mr. Charles Jr. said the assistance was provided through a range of initiatives provided by the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), the Early Stimulation Programme (ESP) and the Abilities Foundation (AF).

The Minister noted that the work of the ESP is critical, especially as it is the only fully funded government service for children below six years with developmental delays.

“Some 3,124 children from 232 communities islandwide received early intervention services in the last Financial Year; 175 children received assistive aids; 1,910 children received therapy, and 193 parents and caregivers received training in coping skills and strategies to care for their children with disabilities,” Mr. Charles Jr. said.

“Our mobile intervention unit took this service into the rural areas and conducted 280 therapeutic sessions. Additionally, The Stimulation Plus Centre, a school operated by the ESP, has seen a 90 per cent increase in the number of children enrolled,” he added.

In 2024/2025, the Ministry plans to expand the ESP services in the parishes of Manchester and Trelawny and increase the number of specialised personnel working in this area.

Meanwhile, through a partnership between the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the JCPD, Jamaica’s Social Protection System and Health System delivery for persons with disabilities are being strengthened through the development of an interactive Management Information System for the Council.

The Minister informed that the Information System will enable medical practitioners to upload medical certificates electronically, thereby reducing processing times for disability certification.

UNICEF will also support the development of a mobile application that will allow persons to remotely register, check certification status, apply for grant assistance and interact with the JCPD virtually.

Additionally, Mr. Charles Jr. said the partnership with the Canadian Local Funds Initiatives provided training in climate-smart technologies for 25 rural women with disabilities enrolled at the Abilities Foundation.

“Through another partnership with the Microsoft NoVA Data Centre in Virginia, USA, 21 staff members and students of the Abilities Foundation received training and certification in information technology. With the success of this first cohort, the partnership will continue in 2024/2025 to provide training for another 20 persons with disabilities,” he noted.