CARIMAC Times 2016: The JREAM Edition Journalists Reviving Awareness of what Matters | Page 155

is available ... Make demands of the system. Yes,
the Government is providing and the JCPD exists,
but unless the parents join and speak out on
behalf of their children in their communities,
some of the things that can happen, will not
happen,” she implored.
Meanwhile, Hendricks informed Carimac
Times that the government formed by the
People’s National Party (PNP) was revisiting
its policy for customer service. The JCPD was
a part of that team tasked with preparing the
policy to ensure that the public is better able
to serve PWDs.

With the Jamaica Labour Party ( JLP) forming
the new government, it is not clear how much
will be done to continue the process the now
opposition party, the PNP facilitated.
“We can appeal to the social conscience and
corporate responsibility, if it’s private sector.
We can [also] point to the fact that there is an
Act, [which] when it becomes effective, we can
do sanctions but [now] we can [only] point to
it as a document that is in the law books,” she
concluded.

However, until the Act is implemented, the Council
would have to rely on alternative measures to
deal with individuals and organisations that
discriminate or seek to harm PWDs.

Christine Hendricks
Photo courtesy of Jamaica Information Service