Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports

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Minister of Energy with oversight for Mining and Telecommunications, Clive Mullings (centre), in dialogue with Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, at the launch of an exhibition for World Telecommunications and Information Society Day, at the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Library, today (May 15). At right is second year student at the University of the West Indies, Sharmale Cardoza. World Telecommunications and Information Society Day will be observed on May 17, 2008 under the theme: 'Connecting persons with Disabilities.'

Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia Grange, has said special effort must be made to assist persons, who are physically challenged, to make use of all the technological aids that make it possible for them to communicate effectively.

The Minister, who was addressing the official launch of an exhibition for World Telecommunications and Information Society Day at the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Library yesterday (May 15), noted that the Government, for its part, was committed to achieving equity in access to information and records available in all formats, including braille, audio mechanism, and sign language.

She noted further that drafting instructions have been given to all communication entities of the Government to accelerate efforts to make full use of assistive technologies, and move towards consistently providing sign language interpreters and closed captioning in television offerings.

She encouraged the private sector to undertake ventures that would enable the physically challenged to be able to use the facilities that exist. "I take this opportunity to invite our cinema operators to join us in our mission to blaze this next phase of development by making theatres across the island friendly to those with impediments," she urged.

Second year student at the University of the West Indies, Sharmale Cardoza, who is visually challenged, said that technology has enabled the disabled to communicate effectively and use mediums, which facilitate greater learning practices.

"With the development of technology, we (physically challenged) are able to interact with individuals across the world using mediums such as messenger, while keeping abreast of issues affecting the world," she stated.

She also noted that technology was an instrumental tool in the development of communication.

World Communications and Information Society Day will be celebrated on May 17 under the theme: 'Connecting Persons with Disabilities.'

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