National Disability Bill to be Tabled Soon

The National Disability Bill will soon be tabled in Parliament, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier, has informed.

“I am very pleased to advise that consistent with our commitment to upholding the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities, we in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, will very shortly be tabling in Parliament, the National Disability Bill,” Mr. Kellier said.

The Minister was making his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on July 25.

“It is a very serious Bill, and in furtherance of its enactment into law, we will be working feverishly to ensuring its swift passage through the Houses of this Parliament,” he said.

Mr. Kellier thanked several international stakeholders, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of Japan, "who have provided tangible support in helping us to build and strengthen our capacity to cater to the needs of the disabled."

"I wish also to thank publicly, the staff of the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) and the Early Stimulation Programme (ESP) for the heroic work they continue to provide to the disabled community of this country. They are among the true patriots to have emerged from the firmament of the last 50 years of our post-independence history,” he added.