JCPD undertakes activities to raise awareness about its work

Jamaica Council For Persons with Disabilities' (JCPD) logo.

 

The Jamaica Council For Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) is undertaking varying activities for the 2026/27 fiscal year as the entity moves to raise awareness on the work and services offered by the Council.

 

In an interview with JIS News, Manager, Corporate Communications and Public Relations at the JCPD, Adrienne Pinnock, said the JCPD is now undertaking a series of community initiatives targeting eight parishes.

 

“We have done two already… . It’s two per quarter, and we are taking our services to those parishes where, based on our numbers, the information and awareness is low, so persons will now be able to connect to us,” Ms. Pinnock continued.

 

She also mentioned the JCPD’s community engagement strategies, namely the JCPD Town Hall and the JCPD and You, “and we have the transformational days where we are taking the services of the Council and other stakeholders that are relevant to our people within these communities so persons can access that support”.

 

“Then our flagship activities come alive in Disabilities Awareness Week, and we want persons to anticipate that one. That comes in from November 30 until December 4, as we seek to celebrate disability awareness here in Jamaica. Then we will launch our digital marketplace come October, where we will now be sending out our first fresh pilot group of business owners on our digital spaces,” Ms. Pinnock said.

 

The Manager further informed that the JCPD is still doing Hurricane Melissa recovery initiatives, offering digital vouchers to those who are impacted by the hurricane and are residing in the disaster zones.

 

“We are recently again in partnership with UNICEF, we are doing some distribution of water tanks for families who [were] impacted by the hurricane,” Ms. Pinnock said.

 

Meanwhile, Ms. Pinnock informed that the JCPD is moving ahead with its regular services, including carrying out the access audits.

 

“We are still seeking feedback on the Disabilities Act, so those consultations and interface will come soon,” she added.

 

She also encouraged anyone with a disability, if they require the services currently offered by the JCPD, to register with the entity.

 

“So, utilise our digital systems and register with us, because before we start offering services, it's very important that we know who persons with disabilities are, where they are located, and then we can start that conversation about what the needs are to ensure that as an organisation we are maintaining relevance,” Ms. Pinnock said.

 

“My encouragement is if you have not yet downloaded the App or you have not yet gone on to our website [to] utilise the web platform to get registered, that you do so and become a member of the Jamaica Council of Persons with Disabilities. Thereafter, if any of our services meet your needs, you can access them digitally. If we don't have a service that meets your needs, then reach out and talk to one of our client care officers and we'll be best able to refer you to an entity that can address the need that you are having,” she added.

 

Between April and December 2025, the JCPD registered 928 new clients, bringing the national database to 41,739 persons with disabilities.

 

For more information persons can contact the Council at (876) 968-8373/968-0623/618-1133.

By Latonya Linton