Labour and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles Jr is reminding Jamaicans that it is unlawful to deny people employment on the basis of their disability.

“The Disabilities Act makes it very clear that it is an unjust, illegal practice to discriminate against persons with disabilities,” Charles Jr said in his address to the sixth Regional Disability Studies Conference at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters on Wednesday.

“We have gone further now by establishing the disabilities rights tribunal to ensure that there is a body to adjudicate on matters of discrimination against persons with disabilities,” he said, adding that low employment within the disabled community is hindering Jamaica’s ability to reach its full potential for sustainable development.

“I want to take this opportunity to invite any person who believes that his or her rights are being transgressed to make a complaint…If we don’t get serious, they not going to take we serious,” he said.

Sharing encounters he had with members of the disabled community, Charles Jr urged private sector entities not to underestimate their capabilities and to take greater steps to integrate more disabled individuals into the private workforce.

He urged businesses not to view the disabled as a liability and asserted his belief that individuals with disabilities excel due to their heightened appreciation for life resulting from their circumstances.

Charles Jr also said that it is unacceptable for Jamaica to have high unemployment rates among members of the disabled community in a time when the country is experiencing its lowest unemployment rates in its history.

“I want to make the call to operators of the BPO (Business process outsourcing) sector to ensure that they look closely at supporting the increased employment of persons with disabilities. These are areas where we can be doing more for persons with disabilities. The rapid development of modern technology makes it highly advantageous now for persons to stay at home and to participate effectively in some of these areas,” he said.

Dean of The UWI’s Faculty of Social Sciences Dr Heather Ricketts announced during the conference that the university will be offering a minor in disability studies.

She explained that while it is important to give adequate educational qualifications for the disabled, providing employment opportunities is crucial in ensuring individuals with disabilities benefit from the country’s move towards sustainable growth and development.

“It is embarrassing that in this modern era characterised by a society labelled as being more woke and enlightened that persons with disabilities still struggle with access and inclusion, and that marginalisation is a real experience,” Ricketts said.

“As our education sectors in the region seek to broaden and deepen access to persons with disabilities, there is a duty by employers and labour market operatives to open up more opportunities for the employment of persons with disabilities,” she said.

Digicel Foundation CEO Charmaine Daniels, who also addressed the function, said the special needs community has been an integral part of the foundation’s journey. As such, it has invested more than $11 million to projects dedicated to improving the lives of the disabled over the last 20 years.

“As part of our 20th year celebration, we are taking our commitment a step further by inviting special needs organisations into our HQ to host a couple of workshops,” she announced.

Daniels said that the foundation will offer five grants valued at $3 million for special needs organisations, as part of the foundation’s Build Jamaica Grants Programme expected to be launched in July.