Advocate wants more accessibility for the blind

For most people, a sizeable hole in the sidewalk is just another hazard, but for someone who cannot see, it's a daily gamble between safety and survival.

That danger, says Daemion McLean, chairman of the Jamaica Society for the Blind (JSB), captures the everyday reality of hundreds of Jamaicans who must navigate a country that "was never built for the blind". From crumbling sidewalks to workplace discrimination and outdated attitudes, McLean opined that Jamaica still treats accessibility like a favour instead of a right.

"Getting around is never easy," he told THE STAR. "When it's not potholes, it's light poles or a sidewalk that just disappear."

McLean said poor infrastructure is one of the biggest barriers to independence for the visually impaired.

"In Kingston and in the rural areas, most sidewalks aren't safe or even walkable," he said. "And the cost of adaptive technology, screen readers, talking computers, makes it even harder to be independent. Independence shouldn't depend on how rich you are."

He pointed to the broken walkway near a particular bank in Portmore as one of many unsafe public spaces that endanger blind pedestrians.

"People have to get help just to reach the building. That's not independence," he said. But beyond the physical barriers, McLean said attitudes remain one of the biggest obstacles.

"You'd be surprised, but some people still believe blindness is a curse or obeah," he said. "That kind of thinking isolates families and makes life 1o times harder."

Those old beliefs, he said, mirror a larger national blindness, one that shows up in how slowly policies are enforced. While there has been progress, McLean said Jamaica is still moving too slowly.

"We've made some strides, but not as fast as we should," he admitted. "The Disabilities Act is there, but until examples are set in the courts and entities are held accountable, not much will change."

He wants accessibility to become part of design, not an afterthought.

"We shouldn't have to wait until people complain," he said. "When you build a sidewalk, you should already be thinking about persons with disabilities."

McLean said the JSB has met with both the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation and the Transport Ministry, but too often change comes only after public outcry.

"We get results sometimes," he said "But we want a Jamaica where accessibility is automatic, not a special request."

But poor design isn't the only thing holding the community back - the job market does too.

"Unemployment among persons with disabilities, especially the blind, is nine or 10 times higher than the national average," McLean said. "When you're not working, it affects everything: food, healthcare, schooling. Families are under pressure."

Although a government policy reserves five per cent of public-sector jobs for persons with disabilities, McLean said the implementation gap remains wide.

"We want genuine employment, not tokenism," he stressed. "Hire us because we're qualified, not to tick a box."

McLean's appeal comes as the JSB prepares to mark World Sight Day this Thursday under the global theme 'Love Your Eyes.' The organisation will host a national health fair and coordinate free glaucoma screenings across all parishes. The effort, he said, is not only about early detection.

"You can go blind in the blink of an eye," McLean warned. "Diabetes is one of the main causes now, and with more people developing it, vision loss will rise."

He noted that more than 60 per cent of Jamaicans over 40 will develop an eye condition before they die.

"That's why we push prevention," he said. "World Sight Day should be more than awareness, it should be about respect for the people already living without sight."

Despite the obstacles, McLean said blind Jamaicans continue to live full and productive lives.

"People ask how we cook or how we know when our clothes are clean," he said with a laugh. "What they don't understand is that seeing is just one way to do something. There are many other ways to get to the same rice and peas."