Students of the Caribbean Christian Centre

for the Deaf (CCCD) now have the benefit of a community access point (CAP),

with the provision of Internet and other computer-related services.

The commissioning of the CAP was held at

the school’s Cassia Park Road address in Kingston, on Tuesday (October 8). It

was developed by the Universal Service Fund (USF) at a cost of approximately

$7.6 million.

The centre, which is the 312th to be

established across the island, is outfitted with 15 desktop computers, one

Internet broadband server and supporting network capability, two multipurpose

printers and two air-conditioning units.

The USF also installed solar panels to

assist in offsetting the electricity costs of operating the computer centre.

Chief Technical Director of ICT in the Ministry of Technology Wahkeen Murray commended the USF for adhering to its mandate of bridging the gap through the provision of Internet access for all.

Noting that persons with disabilities are more likely to experience adverse socioeconomic outcomes than persons without disabilities, such as less education, poorer health outcomes, lower levels of employment, and higher poverty rates, she said the Government is committed to empowering this community with the necessary skills set and access to resources to improve their economic outcomes.

“What we are doing here today is enabling

the disabled and turning impossibilities into possibilities. ICT has the

potential to make significant improvements in the lives of persons with

disabilities, allowing them to enhance their social, cultural, political and

economic integration in communities by enlarging the scope of activities

available to them,” Murray said, in her speech on behalf of Minister Fayval

Williams.

“As a ministry, we understand the

importance of equipping members of the disabled community with access to

technology, and we are paying keen attention to this segment of the

population,” she added.

For his part, Chief Executive Officer of the USF, Daniel Dawes, said the establishment of the CAP is a small part of the overall investment in a bid to greater connect Jamaica.

“Special effort is consistently made to ensure that as we design our projects, no one is left behind. Our projects are not a success unless both those who are rich and poor, those who live in the city and in rural areas and those who are able-bodied, as well as members of the special needs community, can benefit,” he said.

Dawes encouraged the students and community

members to utilise the facility to assist in their academic and business

activities.

“We hope this lab will be used to complete

some excellent class projects. This computer lab is not just a gateway to the

Internet but to a brighter future,” he said.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the CCCD,

Tashi Widmer, expressed her appreciation for the investment, which, she said,

represents greater inclusiveness of persons who are deaf and hard of hearing in

the society.

“Deaf persons represent one group under the

disability sector in general. I appreciate USF considering deaf people as

beneficiaries in their ICT programme. I am appealing to the wider community to

look at a deaf person as an individual and not just at their disability.  Technology is a great resource and support

for the deaf community so they can achieve,” she said.

To date, the USF has invested $50 million

in projects aimed at assisting the special needs community. Beneficiaries

include the University of the West Indies (UWI) Centre for Disability Studies,

the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre and the Jamaica Council for Persons

with Disabilities.