Morris calls for increased empowerment grants for persons with disabilities

OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN on Social Security Dr Floyd Morris is calling for the Government to increase the allocation for the Economic Empowerment Grant that is assigned to the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) on an annual basis.

“In light of the crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, persons with disabilities are further placed in a precarious economic situation. There is, therefore, an urgent need for more funds to be allocated to the JCPD so that they can reach more persons with disabilities in establishing their own business,” Morris said in a statement.

Each year, the Government allocates approximately $10 million for economic empowerment grants to the JCPD for persons with disabilities to engage in selfemployment activities.

“This is woefully inadequate to reach the approximately 400,000 persons with disabilities in the island,” said Morris, who further stressed that persons with disabilities are most likely to be further marginalised as a result of the fall-out from the COVID19 pandemic. “They will, therefore, need resources to get them involved in meaningful economic activities and be a part of the recovery efforts of the country in the postCOVID-19 environment.”

Morris is calling for an additional $20 million to be allocated to the JCPD for the Economic Empowerment Grant for 2020-2021.

Data is suggesting that approximately 90% of persons with disabilities in Jamaica are unemployed.

The grant provides up to $150,000 in grant funding for a person with a disability to start his or her own business.