Gérald Oriol, Jr. is internationally renowned for his work in the field of disability rights
and has made significant contributions advancing the disability agenda in Haiti where he is the
country’s twice-appointed Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities. He
first served under President Michel Martelly from October 2011 to April 2016, and then again,
under President Jovenel Moise from April 2017 to March 2020.
Oriol directs a staff of approximately 70 personnel working from seven offices
throughout the country, which provide services to an estimated one million persons with
disabilities. Oriol and his staff at the Bureau of the Secretary of State for the Integration of
Persons with Disabilities (BSEIPH) are tasked with advancing the rights of persons with
disabilities in Haiti; providing access to education for children with disabilities; creating
economic opportunities for persons with disabilities; promoting the development of a physically
accessible environment; and further developing the resources and capabilities of the BSEIPH.
During his tenure in office, Oriol has advanced multiple pieces of legislation on disability
rights, which have further strengthened the legal framework around disability in Haiti, a country
that is already a signor of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Soon
after his first nomination as Secretary, Oriol and other collaborators followed up with the
parliament to have the Law for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities voted in the Senate
and promulgated by President Martelly in the official journal, Le Moniteur. Oriol and his
partners also drafted the bill establishing accessibility standards in Haiti, which was recently
voted in parliament and promulgated by President Moise in the official journal, Le Moniteur.
Oriol worked on a bill to establish the National Solidarity Fund for the Integration of Persons
with Disabilities, which was approved by Haiti's Ministerial Cabinet, voted in the lower house of
the parliament and is now awaiting the Senate’s approval.
In his post as Secretary with the disability portfolio, Oriol has collaborated directly with
organizations such as USAID, the World Bank, the European Union, the United Nations, the
Organization of American States and the CARICOM. He has represented Haiti at disability
conferences in Qatar, Ecuador, Panama and the United States.
Oriol also has extensive experience in the private and non-profit sectors. From September
2016 to April 2017, Oriol served as a Special Adviser to HaitiChildren, a U.S. non-profit
supporting orphaned and disabled children in Haiti. Prior to his first appointment as Secretary,
Oriol worked for several years as a consultant in the drinking water industry. He is also a
shareholder in TECINA SA, a Haitian company specialized in the study, management and
performance of construction projects.
In 2006, Oriol co-founded Fondation J’Aime Haiti [I Love Haiti Foundation], a non-
profit that champions the rights of disabled and impoverished persons in Haiti. J’Aime Haiti
developed several notable programs including Moun Andikape Pa Ka Pe [Persons with
disabilities cannot remain silent], a radio program which aims to raise awareness on disability in
Haiti.
Oriol received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of
Florida and his Master of Liberal Arts from Harvard University. He received an Honorary
Doctor of Public Service degree from Texas Christian University in December of 2017.
Oriol is the recipient of several notable awards including the 2013 Texas Christian
University Global Innovator Award and the Fondation Lucienne Deschamps 2011 Prix
Humanitaire. Oriol has been featured four times in Ability Magazine, the leading disability
magazine in the world.
Oriol resides in Port-au-Prince with his family.
