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. In this process, non-governmental organizations catering to persons with disabilities in the Caribbean that use to benefit from these grant funds are experiencing serious financial difficulties. A way must be found to assist these non-governmental organizations as they drive the development of persons with disabilities on the ground.”

Senator Dr. Floyd Morris who was invited to the United Nations to speak at the launch of the audio version of the Disability and Development Report also took the opportunity to highlight the importance of persons with disabilities accessing information in the globalized era. He said: “We are living in the information age and it is those citizens who are able to access information who will be able to progress and prosper. We must therefore ensure that persons with disabilities have access to all types of information.” Senator Dr. Morris also lauded the UN for the launch of the audio version, stating its absolute importance to blind and visually impaired individuals. Senator Dr. Morris stated that the report was important in providing data driven research on the situation of persons with disabilities within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to Senator Morris who was speaking in his capacity as Director for the UWI Centre for Disability Studies, policy formulation in the digital era must be data driven. It cannot be based on a “hit or miss” construct.

The audio version of the ‘Disability and Development Report- Realizing the SDGs by, for and with Persons with Disabilities 2018’ was developed by the United Nations to make more information accessible to blind and visually impaired individuals across the world. Being a blind person who led Jamaica’s negotiations for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the individual who caused Jamaica to be the first country in the world to sign and ratify the CRPD, Senator Dr. Floyd Morris was invited to speak at the event.

Contact:

Senator Dr. Floyd Morris
Director
UWI Centre for Disability Studies
Telephone: 876 567 6400 or 876 322 0301