Jul
24
2019
0
DBST3000 COURSE OUTLINE 2019
By cdsadmin
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
CENTRE FOR DISABILITY STUDIES
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
CENTRE FOR DISABILITY STUDIES
Senator Dr. Floyd Morris, Director for the UWI Centre for Disability Studies, at the recently held Conference of States Parties on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities held from June 11-13, 2019, called for special considerations to be given to non-governmental organizations catering to persons with disabilities in the Caribbean. According to Senator Dr. Morris, “With the classification of countries in the Caribbean as middle income earners, grant funding is being shifted to other poorer countries.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has appointed a Special Rapporteur on Disability, as it works towards an inclusive Region for persons with disabilities. The Thirty-Fifth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) – Health, in September 2018, endorsed the recommendation that Senator Dr. Floyd Morris be appointed to the position, and “urged Ministries of Health to facilitate the Special Rapporteur in the conduct of his duties at the national level”. Dr.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has appointed a Special Rapporteur on Disability, as it works towards an inclusive Region for persons with disabilities. The Thirty-Fifth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) – Health, in September 2018, endorsed the recommendation that Senator Dr. Floyd Morris be appointed to the position, and “urged Ministries of Health to facilitate the Special Rapporteur in the conduct of his duties at the national level”. Dr.
“Nothing about us, without us” is the mantra for persons with disabilities globally. I have drawn for this quotation amidst a sensationally written article in the Gleaner on Sunday May 21, 2017, captioned: “Disappointing the disabled- UWI plans to make the Mona campus disabled friendly-going at snail’s pace.” In the article, the author sought to assess UWI Mona’s efforts to make the institution friendly for persons with disabilities and in this assessment, basically gave the institution a failing grade.
Persons with disabilities are an integral part of any society. However, they have not been treated with the level of respect and dignity that they should. After years of advances, many still view these individuals as persons who should be confined to their homes or be placed in infirmaries. They are still being viewed as individuals who should be on welfare rather than being involved with gainful employment.
On Monday October 3, 2016, an article was published in the Jamaica Gleaner, chronicling the experience of the National Youth Service (NYS) in getting placements in the private sector for persons with disabilities that they have recruited and trained. It is a heart rending story that was outlined by the NYS because persons with disabilities are willing to make the effort to be trained and ultimately, employed.
285 million people around the world are visually impaired. Of these, 39 million are blind and 246 million have moderate to severe visual impairment. About 87% of the world’s visually impaired live in developing countries, including Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific region. That’s according to the latest global estimates of visual impairment released by the World Health Organization.
At the heart of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, is a place that students with various disabilities call 'home' - the UWI-Mona Lions Centre for Students with Special Needs.