Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983 (No. 159) - Bahamas (Ratification: 2022)

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

The Committee notes with interest the information provided by the Government in its first report.

Articles 2 and 3 of the Convention. National policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. The Committee notes that the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities) Act, 2014 (PDA) constitutes the principal legislative instrument giving effect to the Convention in the Bahamas. The Committee also notes the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), mandated to promote and monitor implementation of the PDA and to liaise with relevant training and educational institutions to ensure inclusion and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.

The Committee notes the provisions of section 14 of the PDA, which provide for equal access to employment opportunities and conditions of work, including a requirement for employers to employ not less than one qualified person with disabilities for every 100 employees, and for the establishment of a record of employable persons with disabilities; section 15, which mandates the Minister responsible for Labour to design and implement vocational training and skills-development programmes; section 16, which prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of disability and provides for complaint procedures; and section 17, which provides for the establishment of a record of persons with disabilities for job placement purposes.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, while vocational training is in principle available to all, insufficient measures have been taken to meet the needs of persons with intellectual disabilities, particularly regarding specialized training, life skills and independent living. The Committee also notes from available information that, according to the 2010 census, unemployment among persons with disabilities exceeds 70 per cent, and that many remain without adequate social protection coverage (ILO, Decent Work Country Programme for the Bahamas 2021–2026, page 52). Recalling that under Articles 2 and 3 of the Convention, Members shall, in consultation with representative organizations of employers and workers, and with organizations of and for persons with disabilities, formulate, implement and periodically review a national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons, the Committee requests the Government to provide further detailed information on the following points:

• Formulation and adoption of the national policy. Please indicate whether a specific national policy or strategy has been adopted to give effect to Articles 2 and 3 of the Convention, beyond the provisions contained in the PDA. If such a policy exists, please provide its text and an explanation of its main objectives, the date of its adoption, and the institutional arrangements for its coordination, financing and implementation.
• Consultation and participation. Please indicate the manner in which representative organizations of employers and workers, as well as organizations of and for persons with disabilities, have been consulted or have participated in the design, implementation and review of this policy and in monitoring the application of the PDA.
• Coordination mechanisms. Please describe the respective roles and coordination among the Ministry of Labour, the NCPD, and other relevant ministries or agencies (such as education, health, and social development) in the formulation and implementation of the national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment.
• Review and evaluation. Please indicate whether the national policy or related action plans are subject to periodic review or evaluation. If so, kindly provide information on the most recent review, including its findings and any measures adopted to strengthen policy implementation and outcomes for persons with disabilities.

The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed information on the implementation of Articles 2 and 3 of the Convention, including any developments in the formulation and review of a comprehensive national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities, and on the participation of the social partners and organizations of persons with disabilities in this process.

Article 4. Equality of opportunities and treatment. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) is working closely with the Department of Labour to prioritize employment opportunities for qualified persons with disabilities. It further notes that section 14 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities) Act, 2014 (PDA) establishes an affirmative action quota requiring employers to employ not less than one qualified person with disabilities for every 100 employees, and that the Government is considering amending this provision to raise the quota to one in every 38 employees. The Committee also notes the Government’s indication that under the 52-Week Programme of training in the Public Service, 50 persons with disabilities – mostly women – were included and placed in employment within both the public and private sectors. The Committee recalls that under Article 4 of the Convention, each Member shall take measures to ensure that appropriate vocational rehabilitation and employment services are available to all categories of disabled persons, and that these services shall aim at promoting and ensuring equality of opportunity and treatment between disabled workers and other workers. The Committee also recalls that such equality should extend to access to vocational training, employment, career advancement, and remuneration, including measures to address any gender-based disparities. In this regard, the Committee requests the Government to provide, in its next report:

• Information on affirmative action measures. Please indicate the progress made in amending the PDA to raise the employment quota for persons with disabilities, and describe the mechanisms for its enforcement, including inspection arrangements, monitoring, and any sanctions or incentives applied to employers. Please provide data, disaggregated by sex and sector, on the number of enterprises subject to the quota, the number of employees with disabilities hired, and examples of compliance measures undertaken by the NCPD or the Department of Labour.
• Measures to promote equality of opportunity and treatment. Please provide information on specific measures adopted to promote equal access of persons with disabilities to employment, including awareness-raising campaigns, guidance to employers, workplace adaptations, and the provision of reasonable accommodation. Please indicate whether any codes of practice or policy guidelines have been issued to assist employers in implementing such measures.
• Gender equality dimension. Please indicate how the Government ensures equal access to employment and training for women with disabilities, including through targeted programmes or incentives, and provide sex-disaggregated data on participation in the 52-Week Programme and other public or private employment initiatives.
• Equality in terms and conditions of work. Please provide information on the measures taken to ensure equality of treatment between workers with disabilities and other workers regarding wages, benefits, promotion and career development, as well as on mechanisms available for redress in cases of discrimination in employment or occupation on the ground of disability.

The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed information on the measures taken and results achieved to ensure the effective equality of opportunity and treatment between workers with disabilities – both men and women – and other workers, in line with Article 4 of the Convention.

Article 5. Consultation with the social partners. The Government indicates that it has engaged the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation to promote the hiring of persons with disabilities and asking companies to register with the Department of Labour. The Government adds that there is some consultation with NGO’s that represent the disabled community. The Committee notes that, apart from those above, the Government has not provided detailed information regarding consultations with social partners on the implementation of the national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons, as provided for by Article 5 of the Convention. Consequently,the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the nature and scope of consultations held with the social partners, as well as with organizations of and for persons with disabilities, on the implementation of the national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities, as expressed in legislation, policies, practices or other methods relevant to the application of the Convention.

Article 7. Vocational, training, placement, and employment services. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that vocational training opportunities are available for persons with disabilities at the BTVI, the National Training Centre, and through other programmes offered by the University of The Bahamas and private institutions such as the Bahamas Business Institute. It also notes the Government’s information that persons with disabilities are included in the 52-Week Programme, implemented as a public–private partnership to promote employment, and that they also participate in the recently established National Apprenticeship Programme. The Committee recalls that, under Article 7 of the Convention, the competent authorities shall take measures with a view to providing and evaluating vocational guidance, vocational training, placement, employment and other related services to enable persons with disabilities to secure, retain and advance in employment, and that existing services for workers generally shall, wherever possible and appropriate, be used with necessary adaptations to meet their needs. In this regard, the Committee requests the Government to provide, in its next report, detailed information on the following points:

• Provision and evaluation of services. Please describe the measures taken by the competent authorities to provide and evaluate vocational guidance, training, placement and related employment services for persons with disabilities, indicating how their effectiveness is assessed, and whether specific performance indicators or evaluation mechanisms are in place.
• Use and adaptation of existing services. Please indicate the extent to which existing public employment and vocational training services for workers in general are accessible to persons with disabilities, and describe any adaptations made to ensure their equal participation (such as physical accessibility, assistive technologies, adapted curricula or flexible training modalities).
• Coverage and participation. Please provide statistical information, disaggregated by sex, age and type of disability, on the number of persons with disabilities who have benefited from vocational guidance, training, apprenticeship, or other placement and employment services (including under the 52-Week Programme and the National Apprenticeship Programme), as well as the number subsequently placed and retained in employment.
• Coordination and follow-up. Please describe how coordination is ensured among the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), the Department of Labour, and training institutions in delivering these services and supporting beneficiaries after placement, including any mechanisms for job coaching, workplace adaptation or other forms of on-the-job assistance.

The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed information on the measures adopted and results achieved to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to effective and adequately evaluated vocational guidance, training, placement and employment services, and on the extent to which existing services for workers generally are used and adapted to meet their needs, in accordance with Article 7 of the Convention.

Article 8. Services in rural areas and remote communities. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that software for the visually impaired, Job Access with Speech, has been installed on tablets and that ten young persons have received training in its use, with two persons from the Family Islands awaiting training. It also notes that, during the Family Island Town Hall Meetings organized by the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), persons with disabilities were assisted with devices to support their educational development and employment opportunities. While welcoming these initiatives to promote digital inclusion and support the employability of persons with disabilities, the Committee recalls that, under Article 8 of the Convention, Members shall adopt measures to promote the establishment and development of vocational rehabilitation and employment services for persons with disabilities in rural areas and remote communities. In this regard, the Committee requests the Government to provide, in its next report, detailed information on the following points:

• Vocational rehabilitation and employment services in rural and remote areas. Please indicate the measures taken to establish or extend vocational rehabilitation, guidance, training and employment services to persons with disabilities residing in the Family Islands and other remote communities. Kindly describe any permanent or mobile service delivery structures, local coordination mechanisms, or partnerships with local authorities or community organizations.
• Accessibility and outreach. Please describe the measures adopted to overcome barriers of geographic isolation, transport and digital connectivity faced by persons with disabilities in remote communities, including the use of digital platforms, outreach visits, or collaboration with schools, training centres and local employers.
• Capacity-building and support to local service providers. Please indicate whether training or technical support is provided to local officials, employment officers or social workers to enable them to deliver vocational rehabilitation and employment services for persons with disabilities in rural areas.
• Evaluation and results. Please provide information, including data disaggregated by sex, age and island, on the number of persons with disabilities in rural or remote communities who have benefited from such services, and on the outcomes achieved in terms of training, job placement and retention.

The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed information on the measures taken and progress achieved to promote the establishment and development of vocational rehabilitation and employment services for persons with disabilities in rural areas and remote communities, in accordance with Article 8 of the Convention.

Article 9. Training and availability of rehabilitation counsellors and other qualified staff. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures adopted or envisaged to ensure the training and availability of rehabilitation counsellors and other suitably qualified staff responsible for the vocational guidance, vocational training, placement and employment of disabled persons.