05.08.04. Assistance with home modification | Jamaica

05.08.04. Assistance with home modification | Jamaica

27 Sep 2022

Part IX, section 36, subsection 1, stipulates that the owner or agent of the owner of an existing private premises, who has rented or intends to rent, or lease their premises, should, if requested by a person with a disability, make alterations to the premises or specific areas of the premise, to allow easy access to and utility by a person with a disability. Private premise owners and/or public or commercial premises are exempt for modifications if they are structurally impracticable, or the alterations would cause disproportionate or under burden.

Additionally, the National Policy for persons with disabilities (1999) provides guidelines for partnership between the government and civil society in addressing equal opportunities for persons with disabilities. Specifically, the National Housing Trust (NHT), a government-funded agency, reserved a percentage of houses specifically for persons with disabilities. Once a house is assigned to a person with a mobility disability, the NHT modifies the home to allow easy access. The NHT also has a special benefit programme to assist people with disabilities in purchasing or building homes (PIOJ, 2009).

References:

Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ). (2009). Vision 2030 Jamaica National Development Plan Persons with Disabilities Draft Sector Plan. Available from: http://www.caribbeanelections.com/eDocs/strategy/jm_strategy/jm_Persons_with_Disabilities_2009.pdf