Denise Daley urges accessibility audits and faster disability support in Jamaica

Denise Daley says Jamaica must move faster to make public spaces and services accessible to persons with disabilities, arguing in her 2026 Sectoral Debate presentation that access should be treated as a right and not a privilege.

Daley said assurances were given about two years ago that government facilities, private locations and schools would be reviewed for accessibility, but many shortcomings remain. She said she had to install several measures at her own school, yet even now the building they are using still has no wheelchair access. She also argued that too many entrances still have only steps when ramps are needed, and said a number of public facilities remain unusable.

She said the Opposition is proposing that the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities carry out a full accessibility audit of every government facility, with a clear timetable for corrective work to begin by the start of the next financial year. She added that every ministry, agency and public building should be required to publish an accessibility improvement plan.

Daley also highlighted the case of a mother whose child is still waiting to be assessed for a disability. She said the child should now be preparing for secondary school, but valuable years have been lost while the family waits. Daley said no child should miss years of learning because the system moves too slowly, warning that every month spent waiting means delayed intervention, delayed support and delayed opportunity.

To help address those gaps, she called for scholarships to encourage more teachers and other professionals to pursue specialist training in disability assessment, special education, speech therapy, occupational therapy and educational psychology.

Daley also pointed to the role of Hope Experimental School, saying it has served generations of Jamaican children with disabilities with distinction and has made an important contribution to the country. But she said one institution cannot meet the needs of the entire island. She recommended that at least two schools in every parish be identified and upgraded to serve children with disabilities, adding that even retrofitting two classrooms at each school would be a practical start. “Accessibility is a right,” Daley said.