NLJ Reinforcing Mandate of Equitable Access with Jamaican Sign Language Initiative

National Library of Jamaica (NLJ) Board of Management Chair, Joy Douglas, says the institution is reinforcing its mandate of equitable access with the launch of a Jamaican Sign Language (JSL) initiative across the national library network.

Speaking during the launch of the initiative by the Jamaica Libraries and Information Network (JAMLIN) at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, St. Andrew, on Monday (March 2), Ms. Douglas emphasised that the move is not merely symbolic but represents a concrete step towards aligning library services with the Disability Act and national development priorities.

“The National Library holds the nation’s memory, and our mission commits us to enhancing the quality of life and prosperity for all Jamaicans through access to our cultural and historical records,” she said, underscoring that this responsibility extends fully to members of the Deaf community.

Ms. Douglas clarified the distinction between the NLJ and the Jamaica Library Service (JLS), explaining that while the JLS operates the parish libraries familiar to many Jamaicans, the National Library holds overarching responsibility for coordinating the Jamaica Libraries and Information Network (JAMLIN) and providing leadership across the wider library system.

She underscored the importance of partnership in advancing inclusion, highlighting collaboration with the Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD), which has long supported Deaf and hard-of-hearing Jamaicans through education, interpretation services, and Jamaican Sign Language training.

Ms. Douglas further highlighted that libraries must play an active role in integrating the Deaf community into wider society by offering sign language interpretation, targeted programming, and comprehensive staff training.

“If members of the Deaf community enter our libraries and cannot communicate with the user-facing staff, we would be failing in our mandate and mission,” she stressed.

Additionally, underscoring the NLJ’s long-standing commitment to inclusion, Ms. Douglas noted that Deaf employees have served at the institution for decades, reflecting a sustained approach to integration within its own operations.

The Library has also conducted several basic Jamaican Sign Language training sessions for staff over the years.

Ms. Douglas maintained that while a single programme cannot erase years of exclusion, it signals a visible institutional commitment to change.

She urged libraries across all parishes to embed accessibility as a standard feature of their operations.

“When we expand access, we expand opportunity. When we remove communication barriers, we remove social barriers,” she declared.

Ms. Douglas also reaffirmed the NLJ’s commitment to ensuring that all Jamaicans, regardless of ability, enjoy full access to the nation’s knowledge resources.