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National
Policy on Disability on the cards
National
Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH)
March 27, 2007
The formulation of a National Policy
on Disability, which has remained an elusive issue in Zimbabwe despite
the country being the first on the continent to put in place disability
legislation in the form of the Disabled
Persons Act (DPA) in 1992, might soon become a reality following
the outcome of a disability and media workshop held in Kadoma last
week (21-22 March), at which government promised to lend its weight
to the disability empowerment process.
Addressing participants at the workshop,
which was organized by the National Association of Societies for
the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH), in conjunction with the Zimbabwe
Union of Journalists (ZUJ), the Principal Director of Information
and Publicity, Dr B S Maunganidze, promised to work with NASCOH
in convening a strategic, all stakeholders conference that would
pave the way for the formulation of a National Policy on Disability.
‘A National Policy on Disability would not only expedite and maximize
the integration of people with disabilities into mainstream society,
but also obligate ministries to implement policy resolutions falling
under their purview. This would create mutually beneficial multisectoral
and intersectoral collaboration on disability issues,’ he said.
Dr Maunganidze also highlighted that
the media has a corresponding role to play in ensuring effective
implementation of disability policies, a role which could be served
by the media putting in place a disability media policy which would
see disability issues being accorded greater prominence in media
houses, akin to that accorded to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. An offshoot
of the workshop was that journalists at the workshop resolved to
work towards the introduction of a disability desk in their media
houses, a development which would lead to sustained and conscientious
coverage of disability issues. Dr Maunganidze also informed the
participants that the government of Zimbabwe fully subscribes to
the principle of equality of people in all aspects of life regardless
of their race, colour, creed, political affiliation or any other
criterion. The government is also a signatory to international conventions,
which guarantee equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities,
and was thus ever ready to champion their cause through various
arms of government.
Participants to the workshop were welcomed
by the Governor of Mashonaland West Province, Mr Nelson Samkange,
who urged the gathering to do everything in its power in the quest
for a better society, an enlightened society, an equal opportunity
and inclusive society in which no one is marginalized from mainstream
societal activities and development on the grounds of disability,
but given the necessary social support and freedoms to develop to
the limit of his or her ability; " We should treat other people
with respect and dignity and recognize and uphold their inherent
humanity. Discrimination and social exclusion of any group in society
is a recipe for disaster, while, on the other hand, understanding,
openness and due respect for the inherent humanity and dignity of
the individual are the key to harmonious human relations and development,’
he said.
The workshop, which brought together
journalists from all over the country as well as people with disabilities
from various organizations, comes at a time when information has
become all-important as nations all over the world are in the process
of gradually transforming into ‘Information Societies’ or ‘Knowledge
Societies’. The underlying objectives of the workshop were to heighten
media awareness on issues pertaining to disability, disability legislation
and the human rights based approach to disability; to highlight
the role of the media in advancing the cause of disability and counter
negative attitudes of society towards people with disabilities;
to develop mutually beneficial linkages between the media and the
disability sector; and to build impetus for consistent, informed
and comprehensive reporting guided by disability friendly terminology.
Journalists were exposed to a number
of presentations from the disability sector intended to raise their
awareness of disability issues. The presentations included ‘The
state of the disability movement in Zimbabwe’, ‘The role of the
Disability Board in advancing the cause of disability in Zimbabwe’,
‘The shortfalls of disability legislation in Zimbabwe’, ‘The human
rights based approach to disability’, ‘ Education and Employment
in the disability sector’, ‘Health and HIV/AIDS issues in the disability
sector’, ‘Challenges faced by women with disabilities – a personal
experience’, and ‘Concerns of professionals with disabilities in
Zimbabwe’. The disability sector also got the chance to present
its perspective of how disability was being reported in Zimbabwe
while the journalism fraternity also presented its own viewpoint,
thus allowing for frank and unfettered discussion on the subject
of disability reporting.
The
Chairperson of the National Disability Board, Mrs Rosewtta Mudarikwa
in her presentation on the role of the National Disability Board,
made an impassioned plea for the Ministry of Information to make
information available to people with visual impairments like her
through the provision of Braille material and computers with disability
friendly technology. The provision of information was necessary
for undertaking research, making informed decisions on wide ranging
issues, and contributing in all the developmental activities of
the country. Mr Mike Muzah, the Programme Officer of NASCOH, gave
a moving presentation on HIV and AIDS in the disability sector,
and outlined how ignorance of disability issues by the society resulted
in the exclusion of people with disabilities from HIV and AIDS awareness
and intervention programmes. Mrs Maria Muwani, of the Zimbabwe Association
of the Deaf, captured the attention of the audience with her recital
of the peculiar ordeals and experiences that people with hearing
impairments have to contend with on a day-to-day basis.
The harsh reality of the discrimination
that people with disabilities face in trying to secure employment
was brought to the fore by Mr Tsarayi Mungoni, a management training
consultant with the Management Training Centre, who urged the media
to do all in its power to ensure fair play so that professionals
with disabilities could be judged on the basis of their ability
and technical prowess, and not on the basis of their disability.
Presenting a paper on education and employment, Mr Engelbert Makanjera,
of the Africa Rehabilitation Institute, capped off his presentation
by pointing out that, while a National Policy on Disability would
help greatly in advancing disability issues, people with disabilities
were too dormant and too quiet and needed to be proactive in spearheading
the building of a disability friendly environment.
Among the recommendations made at the
workshop was the need, on the part of the media, to demystify misconceptions
regarding disability; play the traditional role of educating and
informing to the maximum with regard to disability issues; introduce
a disability desk in all newsrooms represented in order to ensure
constant and consistent coverage of disability issues; engage in
advocacy journalism; be constantly aware of the changing trends
in disability friendly terminology in order to be able to shape
people’s opinions positively; form a network of dedicated journalists
with an interest in disability issues; and report conscientiously
and objectively on disability issues. It was incumbent upon NASCOH
to push vigorously for the formulation and implementation of a National
Policy on Disability; come up with a national advocacy strategy
for addressing disability issues, identify inadequacy of legislation
on disability issues and seek amendments; introduce a disability
award for outstanding reporters on disability in order to stimulate
press coverage; provide journalists with disability information
promptly and regularly; keep open lines of communication with the
media; and come up with a comprehensive media strategy that would
enable it to establish viable linkages with the media to ensure
effective articulation of disability issues.
The
workshop comes at a time when nations the world over are beginning
to move from the welfare and medical approach to disability, which
views disability as a medical condition which can only be solved
through the provision of social welfare and medical treatment, to
a human rights based perspective. The human rights based approach
to disability places specific obligations on the part of government
and society to remove whatever physical and social barriers that
hamper or prevent the full integration of people with disabilities
in society, and ensure that they are accorded the same rights and
opportunities as any other members of society.
Visit the NASCOH
fact
sheet
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