NaRRA recovery framework must spell out disability access for schools and public buildings

Debate on the NaRRA recovery framework has drawn attention to how the law treats accessibility for people with disabilities, especially at schools and other public buildings that many still cannot use. Speakers said reconstruction and recovery work must set out who is responsible for making facilities usable, with the education sector singled out because children with disabilities still meet physical barriers on a daily basis.

They also cautioned that leaving accessibility unresolved could leave institutions open to legal action from families demanding fair access for their children. Support for the bill, they added, should depend on substantive amendments from Opposition members and civil society aimed at stronger accountability, wider inclusion, and better protection for vulnerable Jamaicans.