Dear Editor,

I read with interest and pride the announcement by Senator Dr Floyd Morris that he has applied to become the People’s National Party (PNP) candidate in St Mary Central when the next general election is called, which is constitutionally due in September 2025.

His announcement has raised questions in some political circles regarding how effective a Member of Parliament (MP) he can be as a blind person.

I have no immediate interest in politics, but I have followed Senator Morris’s career over the years and it is my humble opinion that he is among the most qualified and best-prepared candidates to have ever offered themselves to become MPs in the history of Jamaica. There is nothing new about Senator Morris breaking barriers. He is from humble beginnings, like many of us, with no large bank account or family inheritance, no coat-tails of privilege to hold on to. However, he is someone who has a passion to serve others and an unshakeable belief in the power and possibilities of a good education.

Senator Morris’s remarkable climb up the ladder of success as a blind person has been steady despite the lumps and bumps along the way. He has proven that despite the ladder which society provides for people with disabilities being much too short to scale the walls of prejudice and discrimination, he has persevered through his fighting spirit and positive orientation. From Jamaica School for the Blind to The University of the West Indies, president of the Senate, author, and state minister, he has distinguished himself. His story is a feat for the history books.

His work through advocacy on behalf of the disabled community is seminal and his contribution to the Senate is exemplary. I think he would be a great asset as an MP, and the people of St Mary Central would be foolish to discriminate against him simply because he is blind. Although I am not a supporter of the PNP, I want to see him succeed. I have every confidence that his intellect, character, and care for the disabled community as well as poor Jamaicans would add inestimable value to the lower House of Parliament.

As a member of the community of the mentally ill, which is inextricably linked to the disabled community, I am proud of the contribution Senator Morris has made towards the passing of the Disabilities Act in Parliament in 2022. This Act gives mentally ill people, like me, as well as others with physical disabilities protection in law from discrimination because of our illness or disability. Senator Morris has been tried and tested, and he has proven that blindness does not equate to lack of vision.

I invite the people of St Mary Central to independently examine the quality and measure of this man. I believe he can win the seat and become Jamaica’s first elected blind MP. Having lost the internal election to represent this constituency in 2006, Senator Morris was gracious in defeat and continued to serve his party. This time around I think he has a much stronger wind behind his sail. He has demonstrably justified the maxim that there are two defining features of a good politician, his patience, grace, and resolve when he has lost and his attitude, care, and humility when he succeeds.

Go for it, Senator Dr Floyd Morris! I am proud of you and I know the majority of Jamaicans feel the same way too. The word is always love.

Andre A O Wellington

Mental health patient and advocate

andrewellington344@yahoo.com