OCHO RIOS, St Ann — The launch of the redesigned Parliament of Jamaica website which will, among other things, feature accessibility tools designed to make it easier for people with disabilities to navigate the institution online, has been pushed back to next month.

In an August 26 media release, the State-run Jamaica Information Service (JIS) said the website would have been launched during the 48th Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. However, speaking during Monday night’s opening ceremony for the conference, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chair of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic (CPA-CAA) Executive Juliet Holness said the site is still “in the very last stages of being overhauled”.

In her official remarks she did not explain the reason for the delay but assured that it would soon be up and running.

“The development of our website represents an important step in our continued efforts to make Parliament more accessible, more responsive, better equipped to meet the information needs of our various stakeholders today,” Holness said.

“These features are just a few of the added features to the website, and we look forward to being able to officially launch our website in October, which is just next month. So, Jamaican parliamentarians and for our many stakeholders across the globe, please look out,” she added.

Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives Phillip Paulwell speaking during Monday night’s opening ceremony for the 48th Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region.

She highlighted how it will better serve the disabled, providing them, “for the first time” with an opportunity to log on and listen to debates.

“Most importantly, [you will] be able to tour our Parliament and walk through it as if you are not in a rural space, but physically in Kingston, Jamaica, walking through its Houses of Parliament,” Holness added.

She said there will also be live streaming of “every single parliamentary meeting, extending public access to Parliament’s proceedings and enabling persons beyond the physical precinct of the Parliament to follow its work”.

But accessibility is only one aspect of the overhaul. According to Holness every document that has ever existed in the Parliament will be available on the site.

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Secretary General Stephen Twigg, addressing Monday night’s opening ceremony for the 48th Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region.

She stressed that the ongoing technological revolution requires a fundamental change in the way parliaments approach governance, incorporating areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber security and digital civic participation.

In his remarks, Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Stephen Twigg said he was impressed with the overhauling of the Parliament of Jamaica website.

“It was great to hear about the new website of the Parliament of Jamaica and the great work that is being done across this region and elsewhere to promote inclusion for persons with disabilities,” Twigg said.

Also commenting on the website launch, Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives, Phillip Paulwell, representing Opposition Leader Mark Golding, commended Holness and her team for doing a tremendous job “trying to bring our people closer to the Parliament”.

“I’m very impressed with what we’ve been doing recently in the public education programme,” Paulwell said.