Disability and Discrimination in Jersey

Social Security Minister Deputy Judy Martin spoke at the Jersey Disability Partnership meeting on 16 October 2019.
The Deputy has been given responsibility for "disability matters" including the implementation of the strategy that is a long time coming. I don't know her precise terms of reference or responsibilities.

Deputy Martin was first elected to the States in 2000 and this meeting was held in the St Paul's Centre main hall where acoustics is always a problem.
No microphones were in use on this occasion which is especially bad when disability in all its form was the basis of the agenda - although a lectern with microphone  facility was visible.

The quality of sound on the video posted here is poor and questions from the audience were especially difficult to hear or record.
Other speakers were also recorded and will be posted if I can salvage enough  material that can be heard.

I regret not having the technical ability yet to post captions on my blogs but am trying to learn.

I have campaigned on discrimination and disability issues for a lifetime and despair that the people and government of Jersey will ever take this problem seriously. There will never be adequate funding and the endless talking and writing of reports seems to be some sort of an obsession.
I have studied and gained a qualification in Environmental Access and Design which includes undertaking access audits. 

Of course there are groups and societies and some businesses  doing great and meaningful  work but my criticism are mainly directed at the Jersey government and the States Members who have consistently failed to tackle the immense problems that affect so many people.

Deputy Martin  says she will be encouraging ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - which is good - but it is not necessary to wait years for this to happen.
 If the government is serious it can follow the standards laid down  without actually ratifying through the UK - and Deputy Martin can do this. There is no need to wait for others (such as the UN) to push the local agenda.

When Deputy Martin was an Assistant Minister with special responsibility for children many years ago the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child had not been ratified but I am not aware that she used it to guide her political decision making.
Subsequently Jersey has experienced the painful Independent Jersey Care Inquiry and the exposure of the "Jersey Way" and much much more and this cost nearly £25 millions. But it was only as a result of that Inquiry's work that the Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified for Jersey.

Sadly, I am not at all convinced that Deputy Martin has grasped the scale of the problem that exists in Jersey or the potential funding that will be required. But I wish her well.

My video recording of Deputy Judy Martin follows below;

I welcome comments and will record video interviews with those who express an interest.
Contact me as Mike Dun by PM on Facebook