Murdered local man named in new disabilities bill
Solomon Webster
(CNS): The government has published its new disabilities bill based on the current administration’s policy to protect people with disabilities in Cayman from having their civil and political rights infringed across the community and not just by government. The Disabilities (Solomon Webster) Bill, 2016 has been named in remembrance of a local special Olympian who was killed in a gang-related shooting in 2014. Officials said Webster is commemorated in the soon to-be-law because he “creatively and tenaciously worked to achieve and develop to his best ability”, despite his own disabilities.
The law calls for the principle of equality of access to rights and progressive elimination of discrimination in economic, social and cultural fields and establishes the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) to act as a “watchdog” to oversee policy implementation and champion disability issues.
The bill also creates a voluntary Disabilities Register to improve the quantity and quality of data available about people with disabilities in Cayman to inform policy, legislation and services.
Premier Alden McLaughlin, who first began championing a disabilities policy when he served in the 2005 – 09 PPM administration, is sponsoring this bill. He said, “My administration is committed to fostering a culture of respect for human rights, including strengthening legislative protections for persons with disabilities.”
Work on the legislation began in earnest two years ago when a task force was created to oversee the implementation of the disability policy until the NCPD could be established in law.
The disability policy calls for review and amendment of existing legislation in order to effectively mainstream and address disability matters in areas such as education, employment, health, and planning or building codes. A temporary legal subcommittee established when the policy was being developed made recommendations for legislative reform.
Some of these recommendations are already under consideration by the responsible ministries. When established by law, the NCPD is expected to consistently keep legislation, policies and programmes under review, make recommendations, and monitor reform across all subject areas.
Various stakeholders will be consulted to ensure avenues for claims regarding breaches of the Bill’s provisions are accessible for persons with disabilities and will effectively promote compliance. Cabinet will then consider proposals for enforcement and make regulations, which will provide for these matters.
The Cabinet Office is inviting comments on the bill, which is expected to head for the Legislative Assembly before the end of this year, and are keen to hear ways in which those who feel their rights have been infringed can potentially seek redress.
Disabilities (Solomon Webster) Bill, 2016
For more information visit the Cabinet Office website or call 244 3607.
Category: Health, Laws, Medical Health, Politics
I think we must also look in to protecting the disabled from abusive, criminal-minded friends who take advantage of them like what seemingly happened to Mr. Webster. There should have been someone close enough to him to keep him away from the likes of whoever the other gun-wielding parties were. He was obviously vulnerable and chosen to assist with the crime that unfortunately ended in him losing his life. Where were the people that should have been monitoring this young man’s life happenings, whereabouts and friends?
Must be an election coming up with this sort of stunt.
Yep, pretty much. PPM is already decorating their website with posts about the road projects. Funny they still have pictures of Alva up though.
While the creation of this Bill attempts to address the rights and protection of persons with disabilities in general, it falls short, in my opinion, by omitting crucial requirements for the accommodations of same, especially in hotels and apartments. I did a recent query of hotels and guest houses from Morritts to West Bay and there were 3 handicap-accessible units available island-wide – two are privately owned condos. I attended the consultation meeting last year and hammered this point but it is clearly ignored
As usual, nothing coming from the public desk is done correctly the first time. Let’s just wait for successive LA sessions to amend the Bill.
Anyway, at least Government has done something. My late father’s lobbying has now shown some fruit almost two decades later.
And BTW Premier Alden, please have the decency to give past MLA Heather Bodden some acknowledgement for her initiatives on pushing legislation for persons with disabilities. It is noted that you claimed the glory. No surprise!!
Pathetic move. Naming legislation for political ends is a tacky American ploy for those chasing votes.
That is great news. That young man was a wonderful person and happy he will be remembered. Thank you, he was my friend.
Thank you government for finally bringing this bill. I am so proud of this tremendous achievement. Finally a government that cares.
A great move with the name.
Perhaps by naming this la in memory of Solomon, this Government is pandering to the large Webster family and voting bloc in West Bay. Just saying.
But whatever the reason, there appears to be no precedent of naming a Law after any person
Yep, it seems that Solomom worked his way thru life, despite his disabilities, and achieved what only a few can as an Olympian, he built a reputation with hard work kindness and tireless efforts and them and only them he specifically choose a recently fired bullet and stand in front of it so he could get killed and some politician would make the best out of it in the 2017 electoral campaign…. yep, that sounds right… Honestly, if that is what you see I feel sorry for you, you should be suffering with a brain like that…
They do that all the time in the United States. (Brady Bill, Amber Alert etc….. )
Remember, General Elections are right around the corner, so therefore you’ve got to get the foundation started for the votes to start coming in.
I do not like this Americanism (apologies to other countries that do it) of attaching people’s names to Bills. Either the Bill stands or falls on its own merits, not because we don’t want disrespect someone’s memory or, in the future, stick it to someone we don’t like.
It was not a gang related shooting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please explain for those of us who think it is.
I’ve never heard of putting someone’s name in a law like that. Do we have any other laws with individual names in them?
Perhaps the government need to start with themselves. And train their employees of higher positions in govt.
Really mature comment that belittles the very real hardship faced by people with disabilities here. But of course instead of making sense youd rather play joker