Assistive technology for blind, visually impaired persons

According to Kingston, Jamaica, The persons who are either blind or visually impaired will have the benefit from assistive technology which will help them to access the Internet.

This is going to be facilitated by the Government under the Caribbean Community Trade & (CTCP) Competitiveness Project that is aimed at contributing for the deepening of this regional integration process.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Shahine Robinson said that this is a very exciting development partnership & we thank the Caricom Secretariat in the Barbados for this type / kind donation & we are looking forward for its implementation in the upcoming weeks. She was addressing the opening of the Regional Disability Studies Conference at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies on March 16.

This assistive software will be available throughout the Jamaica Council for the Persons with Disabilities. Robinson also noted that this modern technology have the capacity to level the playing field & also provide independence, equality & more integration for the persons with these disabilities.

So turning to other initiatives for assisting the disabled community, she also informed that later this week, the JCPD will be participating in the strategic planning workshop for development of a virtual relay interpreting system so as to enhance the communication for deaf persons. The workshop is going to be organized by the Jamaica Association for the Deaf through the Advancing Deaf Kids Jamaica project.

The initiative aims to advance the rights & protection of deaf children & the young people throughout will be a nationwide program of communication, safe behavior & morally positive parenting by utilizing the sports & dance as channels for the engagement.

She also said that the Ministry, through the JCPD, will be continuing to advocate for the rights of persons with this type of disabilities & will ensure that they are included in the Government’s future plans and policies.

The minister also pointed that the JCPD will continues to provide grants to persons with disabilities to support the purchase of assistive aids and entrepreneurial grants to enable persons to establish their own small businesses.

These include Digicel Foundation, Jamaica Employers’ Federation, Spanish Foundation of Jamaica & International partners like the Inter American Development Bank & the World Bank (WB) that provide funding and technical assistance.