Focus on persons with disabilities

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 07 December 2020

_{By: Jean Lowrie-Chin}

Despite Covid, we had a memorable Disabilities Awareness Week. Please note that we should say ‘persons with disabilities’, not ‘disabled persons’ as we should put the emphasis on the person and not on the disability.

Last Thursday Special Olympics Caribbean announced that our world-famous swimmer Alia Atkinson will be their Champion Ambassador.  I have had the pleasure to work with Alia; she has always been passionate about uplifting her fellow Jamaicans.  

Alia, who said it was an honour to be so declared, will work closely with the excellent Lorna Bell, Executive Director of Special Olympics Caribbean to affirm the efforts of our Special Olympians. In reflecting on the Motto of Special Olympics, “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt”, she expressed her admiration for the Special Olympians’ courage.

Sports Minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange said Alia would “help them to be proud of the value that they add to our society” and commended Lorna Bell and Special Olympics Jamaica Chairman Allie McNab for their dedication to their charges. “Let us all as Government representatives commit to creating a more inclusive and enabling environment for all,” she urged.

The event ended with a thank-you by my bubbly little friend, Special Olympian Kadian Ingleton. “Alia is a great motivation and inspiration for us,” she said.

One of the benefits of being Chair of the Digicel Jamaica Foundation is seeing the efforts made by those who are physically and mentally challenged. They bring joy and pride to their families when they excel in educational programmes, tailored to their needs.  On Friday, we visited the Genesis School for Special Needs on South Camp Road where the initial enrollment has more than doubled. Principal Angela Bowen-Stewart said 70 percent of the students are online and keeping up with their lessons. We saw a demonstration of the modified wash stations in special needs schools by the Foundation. The ever-upbeat Alphanso Cunningham, Paralympian Gold Medalist was on hand to give his own words of praise at the well-kept grounds and classrooms.

Paralympians are persons with physical disabilities while Special Olympians are persons with intellectual disabilities.

We welcomed the news that Senator Dr Floyd Morris, Jamaica’s first blind Senator, has been elected to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Rising from the despondency of becoming blind as a teenager in St. Mary, he made his way to Kingston where he enrolled in classes at the Jamaica Society for the Blind and qualified to study at UWI Mona, continuing to gain masters and doctoral degrees and now lectures at and heads the UWI Centre for Disability Studies. His autobiography, “By Faith, Not By Sight” is an inspiring read.