Back to Index

Let's root out discrimination against children with disabilities
National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH)
Extracted from Disability Update, Aug 28-5 Sept, 2006
August 28, 2006

Discrimination against people with disabilities in Zimbabwe is so deeply entrenched that even the little children are not spared from its vile effects. Just when we were starting to believe that significant progress had been registered in heightening people’s awareness of the rights of people with disabilities, from the King George VI Children’s Rehabilitation Centre in Khumalo, Bulawayo, comes a harrowing tale of blatant and insensate discrimination that epitomizes the lowest depths of human relations.

A concerned citizen with a disability wrote in to express her shock and disbelief as she recently watched, with mounting incredulity, two Harare-bound children from the school being literally tossed from bus to bus for close to two hours at the Renkini bus terminus, with the conductors and drivers refusing to take them on board. The lowest point was when one of the bus drivers, without even a shred of shame or remorse, loudly exclaimed: ‘bhazi rangu haritakure zvirema’ (This bus does not carry cripples i.e. people with disabilities). One of the children, who had already boarded the bus thanks to the understanding of one of the conductors, was forced to suffer the indignity of being removed from the bus.

The writer was so shell-shocked at the unfolding scenario that we can only do justice to her feelings by quoting her exact words: ‘One goes on further to wonder if the disabled person is at all considered a human being who is entitled to the same good treatment that everyone else gets. At this point in time we (the disabled) were ready to settle down and accept that the whole of Zimbabwe is fully aware of the rights of the disabled person. Are disabled persons not considered human beings in the Transport industry? As the disabled community we feel we need an explanation as to why this is still happening despite the awareness campaigns through all forms of media. And yes, we are Zimbabweans, one of the most open minded and progressive nations on the continent. So why is this still happening to the disabled, why this barbaric insensitivity and bigotry?’

She likened such insensitive utterances in the presence of a disabled child who is in his formative years to a knife thrust into the gut, a knife thrust that is promptly followed by a malicious twisting so as to maximize the effect. She also likened it to being shot in the gut with an explosive bullet, saying that a painful and slow death usually follows such an experience. We couldn’t agree more with her. As a mentor of children with disabilities, she understands only too well the supremely devastating effect of stigma and discrimination. It is negative attitudes that are responsible not only for the isolation and marginalization but the premature death of two in three of every person with a disability, as aptly captured by the Community Approaches to Handicap in Development (CAHD) handbook.

Let’s face up to it – stigma and discrimination kill. Killing is inhuman. Let’s not kill people with disabilities by perpetuating stigma and discrimination. Children are especially vulnerable and fragile. The fundamental principle of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is that all young people should get the chance to grow up in a protective, nurturing and stimulating environment, right from the beginning. Let’s nurture, protect and stimulate our children – not kill them with stigma and discrimination.

Visit the NASCOH fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP