Story by Memory Chamisa
THE inaugural National Disability Symposium is currently underway in Harare, bringing together representatives from Government, development partners and disability advocacy organisations to deliberate on issues affecting persons with disabilities, including the recently enacted Persons with Disabilities Act.
The two-day symposium is focusing on shifting from charity-based approaches towards empowerment models that promote people with disabilities as active advocates and decision-makers in society.
Participants stressed that disability inclusion is not optional, but a fundamental component of human rights and sustainable development.
One of the participants, Senzeni Mutevedzi, said she was honoured to be part of the first-of-its-kind conference and looked forward to contributing to discussions on disability inclusion.
Another participant, Tsepang Nare, said there is a need to improve access to health and education services for persons with disabilities.
“I am interested in hearing what Government has been doing to ensure people with disabilities are catered for in the health sector. The new Act contains important provisions on health and education, which remain expensive for many people living with disabilities,” he said.
Loveness Mainato highlighted the challenges faced by people living with albinism, particularly regarding access to sunscreen products.
“For people living with albinism, sunscreen should be treated as a medical necessity and not a luxury. I urge the relevant authorities to ensure it is subsidised and made more accessible,” she said.
Government and development partners described the symposium as a significant step towards advancing a disability inclusion agenda aimed at integrating persons with disabilities into all sectors of society while guaranteeing equal rights, accessibility and meaningful participation.
Programmes Manager for Sightsavers, Samantha Nyathi, said the symposium marks the beginning of efforts to implement the newly enacted Persons with Disabilities Act.
“This symposium is the first step towards implementing the recently enacted Persons with Disabilities Act, which seeks to ensure that parents of children with disabilities receive support, capacitation and other assistance. The next two days will be critical as we identify gaps within existing policies and legislation that need to be refined to ensure full inclusion,” she said.
Special Advisor to the President and Cabinet on Disability Issues, Rose Mpofu, commended President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa and the relevant ministry for organising the symposium, saying it reflects government’s commitment to inclusive development.
Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Edgar Moyo, underscored the importance of increased financial support for disability programmes and inclusive development initiatives.
“We must create dedicated funding for assistive technologies, community rehabilitation and inclusive education. There is also a need to explore innovative financing mechanisms to bridge funding gaps, while strengthening technical capacity in disability-inclusive planning and monitoring systems,” he said.
President Mnangagwa recently launched the National Disability Policy and signed into law the Persons with Disabilities Act, replacing the outdated Disabled Persons Act of 1992.
The new legislation places an obligation on government to ensure parents of children with disabilities receive support, training and other forms of assistance, among other provisions.
