MY NAME IS JAMES.
MY COMMUTE TO WORK ISN'T TOO BAD,
THANKS IN LARGE PART TO THE ADA,
THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
JAMES: It definitely take s a lot of effort.
The hardest part is
getting in and out of the car.
I'M AN ANIMATOR AND EDITOR AT THE WORLD BANK.
WE PRODUCE VIDEOS ABOUT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD
WHO ARE LIFTING THEMSELVES OUT OF POVERTY.
FROM MY EDIT SUITE
I GET TO WATCH FOOTAGE FROM AROUND THE WORLD
AND IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD I HAVE BEEN THINKING
HOW DO THE WORLD'S POOREST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES,
SAY PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS LIKE ME,
MANAGE TO LIVE AND WORK?
THESE ARE COUNTRIES STRUGGLING TO PROVIDE
EVEN BASIC SERVICES, LIKE ROADS, LET ALONE RAMPS.
SO IN THE STUDIO I PACK UP SOME GEAR
WITH MY AWESOME COLLEAGUE PETER.
WE'RE HEADED FOR AN EPIC ADVENTURE.
HERE WE ARE BOARDING A PLANE
AND HERE IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN MY HEAD.
ANIMATION - IT'S WHAT I DO.
Pilot: James hold on.
JAMES: Wait...No...Help!
WE FLY FROM WASHINGTON, DC, TO KINGSTON, JAMAICA,
A COUNTRY I'VE NEVER VISITED.
JAMES: Oh god, I'm slipping.
MOST PEOPLE THINK BEACHES, PALM TREES, DRINKS WITH RUM,
BUT JAMAICA IS ALSO AN ENERGETIC COUNTRY
OF 2.7 MILLION PEOPLE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS ONE OF THE SLOWEST GROWING
ECONOMIES IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD.
AN ESTIMATED 15 PERCENT OF JAMAICANS
LIVE WITH SOME SORT OF DISABILITY.
THAT INCLUDES DEAFNESS, BLINDNESS, MENTAL ISSUES,
AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES.
BUT JAMAICA IS STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE.
WITH SUPPORT FROM THE WORLD BANK,
THEY PASSED A DISABILITY ACT IN 2014
TO PROMOTE JOB TRAINING AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL.
MY PLAN IS TO HANG OUT WITH PATRICK.
HE RECEIVED A GRANT TO TRAIN
AS AN ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR MECHANIC
AND START A BUSINESS OUTSIDE OF KINGSTON.
LUCKILY, WE FIND A VAN TO GET THERE.
OUR DRIVER DERRICK SAYS IT'S THE ONLY ONE FOR HIRE
IN JAMAICA THAT'S EQUIPPED FOR WHEELCHAIRS.
AND WITH A LITTLE ROBOTIC HELP, PATRICK AND I ARE FACE TO FACE.
HE SHOWS ME AROUND HIS SHOP HE DESIGNED AND BUILT.
PATRICK: Oh, this is it.
This is the shop.
JAMES: So you got a whole
warehouse going here.
PATRICK: Yeah.
AND WE TALK NONSTOP FOR HOURS ABOUT OUR WORK
AND OUR LIVES AND THE USUAL STUFF.
PATRICK IS A PART-TIME PHOTOGRAPHER.
WE ALSO TALK ABOUT OUR INJURIES.
Patrick: I'm T4.
James: Ah, you're T4.  OK.
Patrick: Yeah.
James: So I'm above that. I'm T2.
THAT'S WHEELCHAIR CODE.
COUNTING FROM THE TOP,
HUMANS HAVE SEVEN CERVICAL VERTEBRAE,
12 THORACIC, 5 LUMBAR, AND ANOTHER FIVE SACRAL
WHERE OUR TAILS USED TO BE.
PATRICK SUFFERED A GUNSHOT WOUND 22 YEARS AGO,
AND WAS INJURED RIGHT ABOUT HERE.
FOR ME, A SNOWBOARDING ACCIDENT 16 YEARS AGO
CRUSHED A COUPLE OF VERTEBRAE HERE, HIGHER UP.
SO PATRICK HAS MORE USE OF HIS UPPER BODY
THAN I HAVE OF MINE.
THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.
THE SIMILARITIES ARE MENTAL.
WE BOTH HAVE A DRIVE TO DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE
BASICALLY TO EARN A LIVING,
PREFERABLY DOING SOMETHING WE ENJOY.
BUT AS WE TALK, I'M WONDERING, IT'S GREAT TO WANT A JOB,
BUT HOW EASY IS IT TO WORK IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY
WHEN YOU'RE IN A CHAIR?
SO FAST FORWARD TO THE NEXT DAY.
AND I'M ABOUT TO FIND OUT.
THIS IS A MARKET IN CENTRAL KINGSTON.
WE TRAVEL JUST A FEW BLOCKS BUT IT TAKES FOREVER.
MY EYES ARE GLUED TO MY FOOTPLATE.
I DON'T WANT IT TO GET STUCK AND FLIP ME OVER.
PETER HAS TO HELP ME OUT.
IT'S EXHAUSTING AND UNBELIEVABLY HOT.
BECAUSE OF MY INJURY, I DON'T SWEAT,
AND I HAVE TO KEEP POUNDING WATER
SO I DON'T OVERHEAT IN THE SUN.
A DISABLED JAMAICAN NAMED MARLON WAS KILLED BY A BUS
IN THE SAME AREA THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
I'VE SEEN THE PHOTO OF HIS CRUSHED WHEELCHAIR.
SINCE SIDEWALKS AREN'T A GOOD FIT,
WE'RE FORCED TO SHARE THE ROAD WITH TRAFFIC.
CARS FLY BY.
JAMAICANS DRIVE ON THE LEFT AND MY AMERICAN BRAIN
IS VERY CONFUSED WHEN TRAFFIC COMES FROM THE OTHER WAY.
I'M THINKING OF MARLON A LOT RIGHT NOW.
ALL TO BUY SOME FOOD FOR DINNER.
SO YEAH...MOBILITY IN JAMAICA IS A BIG PROBLEM.
SO HOW DO PEOPLE GET TO WORK?
PATRICK SAYS MOST BUSES ARE DESIGNED TO BE WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY
BUT THE ACCESSIBLE SECTIONS
HAVE BEEN CRAMMED WITH EXTRA SEATS.
SO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ISN'T AN OPTION.
IF YOU'RE WEALTHY ENOUGH TO HAVE A CAR...
PARKING IS AN ISSUE.
AND EVEN IF YOU CAN GET TRANSPORT TO YOUR WORKPLACE...
YOU FACE CURBS AND STAIRS AND FEW RAMPS.
THE JAMAICAN DISABILITY ACT WILL CHANGE THAT
BUT IT WILL TAKE TIME.
OLD BUILDINGS WILL BE CONVERTED
AND NEW BUILDINGS WILL BE ACCESSIBLE.
IT'S SLOW, BUT HEY, IT'S PROGRESS.
THE WORLD BANK FUNDED ABILITIES FOUNDATION
IS ALSO PROVIDING TRAINING
TO MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY DISABLED JAMAICANS.
THESE MEN ARE LEARNING CARPENTRY.
THE FOUNDATION ALSO TEACHES FURNITURE MAKING,
LANDSCAPING AND SEWING.
MEET THERESE.
SHE STUDIED COMPUTER SKILLS HERE
AND NOW SHE'S AN ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR.
I THINK SHE'S INSPIRING BECAUSE SHE WANTS
TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND PATRICK, HE FEELS THAT WAY TOO - ABOUT GIVING BACK.
IT SEEMS LIKE HE KNOWS EVERYBODY IN JAMAICA
DISABLED OR NOT.
HE COULD HAVE STAYED IN AMERICA
WHERE HE STUDIES WHEELCHAIR REPAIR.
BUT HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO JAMAICA
EVEN THOUGH IT'S HARDER TO LIVE HERE
BECAUSE HE WANTS TO HELP HIS OWN PEOPLE
ACHIEVE A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE
LIKE HE TOLD ME THAT FIRST DAY.
AND NOW IT'S OUR LAST DAY.
WE'VE COME TO SAY GOODBYE TO PATRICK.
HE COOKS UP SOME FRESH SNAPPER
AND THE VEGETABLES I GOT AT THE MARKET.
I'M GOING TO MISS THIS.
I DEVOUR DINNER BEFORE HEADING OUT INTO THE SUNSET.
AND IT WAS AT SOME POINT THAT EVENING
AS WE RETURNED TO THE HOTEL
THAT IT REALLY HIT ME.
WHEN YOU'RE FIRST INJURED
YOU THINK YOU'LL BE A BURDEN TO SOCIETY.
YOU FEEL HELPLESS WHEN YOUR BODY IS NO LONGER
THE WAY IT USED TO BE.
BUT NOW, THERESE AND PATRICK,
NOT ONLY ARE THEY NOT A BURDEN,
THEY'RE GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I STRIVE FOR TOO.
OUR ENVIRONMENTS ARE DIFFERENT
BUT WE ARE UNITED, NOT BY OUR DISABILITY
BUT OUR ABILITY TO REACH OUT AND CHANGE THE WORLD.
THE WORLD BANK SAYS WE ALL BENEFIT
WHEN EVERYONE IN SOCIETY IS GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROSPER.
I'VE HEARD THAT.
I'D EVEN CREATED VIDEOS ABOUT IT BEFORE.
BUT NOW...
I FEEL IT.
