New #IAmAbleJa campaign urges inclusion of children with disabilities

THE United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Digicel Foundation and Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) have developed a new media campaign to be run this month, Child Month, to encourage Jamaicans to be more inclusive of children with disabilities.

The “I am Able” campaign is part of a wider two-year project that supports efforts to implement the Disabilities Act of 2014.

The multimedia campaign is in keeping with the theme for Child Month, “Encourage, Enable, Include Me,” which focuses on children with disabilities.

“The I am Able campaign invites all Jamaicans to focus on what children with disabilities are able to do and on the skills and talents they can use, in spite of their differences,” said Mariko Kagoshima, UNICEF Jamaica representative.

“It also encourages everyone, and children without disabilities in particular, to be more inclusive in their everyday activities,” added Kagoshima.

The partnership between the three agencies also produced a comprehensive Situational Analysis of Persons with Disabilities. The report underscores that persons with disabilities are often overlooked and marginalised, and tend to face discrimination and social exclusion.

It provides several evidence-based recommendations for the implementation of the Disabilities Act, which was passed in 2014 but is yet to be fully enforced. Recommended actions are outlined for several ministries.

“The Government has made important strides to address problems faced by persons living with disabilities.

“However, the Disability Act has yet to be fully enacted. This is something we aim to influence through the findings of the situation analysis, with the support of the I Am Able campaign,” said Digicel Foundation CEO Karlene Dawson.

For Christine Hendricks, executive director of the JCPD, “The partnership forged through this project is twofold. The work completed to date has strengthened the capacity of the JCPD to assist persons with disabilities and the public become more aware of the rights afforded to persons with disabilities under the Disabilities Act.”

“Secondly, through this collaboration, Jamaicans are more aware of their responsibility in ensuring our nation becomes a more inclusive society. The journey has been a marathon, however; we are closer to enactment as we seek to prepare the regulations and the codes necessary to support and strengthen the legislation.”

The hashtag for the I am Able campaign is #iamableja.