Falling short of equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in Trinidad and Tobago: evidence from Equal Opportunity Commission case files
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
ISSN: 2040-7149
Article publication date: 7 December 2022
Issue publication date: 28 March 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to examine if the existing legislative framework in Trinidad and Tobago supports equal opportunities and the achievement of fundamental human rights for persons with disabilities seeking to access education, employment, accommodations and goods and services.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 105 complaints filed with Trinidad and Tobago's Equal Opportunity Commission from 2010 to 2021 regarding disability discrimination. The steps of constant comparison were used to analyse characteristics of each case, complainants' desired outcomes and the actual outcomes of the cases (i.e. withdrawn, closed, forwarded to conciliation or the Equal Opportunity Tribunal).
Findings
Across all cases, persons with disabilities desired access to unavailable services, opportunities for employment or an apology for emotional distress. Cases that were withdrawn reflected missed opportunities to address systemic issues, closed cases reflected a bounded process for redress, and cases advancing to conciliation or the Tribunal required documentation or support.
Originality/value
This study provides insights into how the current policy and its implementation miss opportunities to address discrimination at organisational and systemic levels. Specifically, cases revealed dominant/subordinate dynamics in society and a lack of transparency throughout the system. Authors provide recommendations for policy and systemic change, including addressing gaps in national legislation and adopting strong equality of opportunity and equality of well-being approaches.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This project was possible through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) of Trinidad and Tobago and the University of the West Indies. The complaints lodged with EOC are confidential, and access to them for research purposes was possible via the MOU. The MOU was operationalised within the SALISES Disability Studies Research Cluster chaired by Dr. Bephyer Parey. All authors are members of the cluster.
Ethical approval: Ethical approval for the research was granted by the Campus Ethics Research Committee of the University of West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. Ethical reference number: CREC-SA.1168/09/2021
Funding: There was no funding for this research.
Citation
Parey, B., Kutscher, E. and Enightoola, H. (2023), "Falling short of equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in Trinidad and Tobago: evidence from Equal Opportunity Commission case files", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 42 No. 3, pp. 382-397. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-06-2022-0146
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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