Time to Pass the Disability Act

It is unbelievable that, in post-modern Jamaica, people with disabilities are still being treated with disdain and their dignity trampled.  I say this in light of a story in another newspaper of Tuesday, April 17, 2012 about the appalling and inhumane treatment of Sarah Newland-Martin, the Head of the YMCA.  Whereas it is expected that the security forces must carry out their duties to protect and secure this country, one thing that does not seem to be a major focus of some members thereof is their duty to serve all the people of Jamaica and treat each person with respect and care.  What happened is blatantly scandalous and incredibly reprehensible.  We must not tolerate such treatment of persons with disabilities in our civilized society.  We should not repeat the sordid historical episodes of intolerance with difference and impatience with those who are differently abled.

This brings me to the issue of the need for societal education on disability issues and stakeholder intervention with a view to the preservation of the inherent dignity, humanity and rights of people with disabilities.  Many ignorant and bigoted people in our society need to undergo a change in their attitude and behaviour relative to persons with impairments of whatever kind.  To use a theological concept, they need to repent for the way they have treated our disabled brothers and sisters.  This can come about through purposeful and sustained educational efforts in the media and other means with the aim of debunking the disabling myths that run deep in the soul and culture of our county about people with impairments and fostering a social atmosphere of inclusion, acceptance and participation.  Many institutions of higher education in Jamaica, such as the University of the West Indies and the Jamaica Theological Seminary have been sensitizing their students about the value of human diversity and the beauty of difference in courses in disability studies.

With respect to national stakeholder involvement in the promotion and maintenance of the dignity and inherent humanity of people with impairments, something tangible and long lasting must emerge from this investigation that the Transport Minister Dr. Omar Davies has ordered into the preposterous mistreatment of Mrs. Newland-Martin.  I call on the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) to apply pressure on the Minister of Labour and Social Security and the government in general regarding the passing of the National Disability Act that has been in the making for many years.  The office and title of a disability advocate should be established and included in the Act. 

Furthermore, the disability advocacy groups in Jamaica, such as the Combined Disabilities Association (CDA), should continue to lobby the government to implement the Persons with Disabilities Sector Plan of Vision 2030 Jamaica.   

Indeed, when we become a society of diversity and tolerance with respect to people who are otherwise abled, we would have realized the Vision Statement for persons with disabilities for Vision 2030 Jamaica.  It says that we envision “A society that is inclusive, accessible, provides opportunities for all and recognizes the rights, freedoms and responsibilities of persons with disabilities in the process of nation building”.   Indeed, if this vision statement were realized in concrete ways, it would contribute to making Jamaica the preferred place to live, work and raise children.

Disability and the Image of God

Is the image of God in persons with disabilities?  Are able-bodied people more reflective of the image of God than disabled people?  These are questions that are being asked in the disabled community and within theological circles as well.  Charles Feinberg (1972) says that, "The image of God constitutes all that differentiates man from the lower creation. It does not refer to corporeality or immortality. It has in mind the will, freedom of choice, self-consciousness, self-transcendence, self-determination, rationality, morality, and spirituality of man. The ability to know and love God must stand forth prominently in any attempt to ascertain precisely what the image of God is."  This seems to be a very good summary of what the Imago Dei is all about.

Most scholars agree that the image of God in humans cannot be their mortal body because it would mean that God has a body.  This flies in the face of Jesus' statement that "God is spirit" (John 4:24).  However, if our bodies do not reflect the image of God, what do they reflect?  In the context in which it is found, one can conclude that it is related to the dominion that humans were expected to have over the other creatures.  This might be true.  However, it seems our physicality has nothing to do with the Imago Dei.  It means, therefore, that many persons who are physically disabled or impaired are persons with the image of God despite their impairment. Even persons with mental or learning disabilities possess the image of God despite their intellectual or mental problems and struggles.

What role does a human being's body play, if any, in any discussion or theology of the image of God in man? Do our bodies 'image' God? To what extent can we claim that the image of God rests in persons with disabilities or impairments?