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Disability Issues
Dr Christine Peta
THIS week, we look at the overarching theme and three sub-themes of this year’s 17th session of the Conference of State Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which took place earlier this month.
The event was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States.
In delivering its statement, Zimbabwe began by congratulating Ambassador Tarek Ladeb (Tunisia) for his election to preside over this year’s session, whose theme was “Rethink disability inclusion in the current international juncture and ahead of the Summit of the Future”.
The first sub-theme was on issues of international cooperation to promote technology innovations and transfer for an inclusive future. Indeed, there is need to boost assistive technology innovations, knowledge exchange and action in order to promote and build access to assistive technology for persons with disabilities. Assistive technology is important because it helps us to maintain or improve the functioning of individuals, who include children, youths and adults with disabilities, older people and those with long-term health conditions such as dementia, stroke or diabetes.
This year, Zimbabwe launched its Assistive Technology Strategy (2024-2025). It outlines a comprehensive framework to enhance access, availability and utilisation of assistive technology by persons with disabilities across the country.
In addition, Zimbabwe continues to engage in dialogue with other countries
for cooperation in assistive technology innovations and transfers, as we seek to achieve an adequate product range, workforce capacity and affordability with the aim of enhancing the well-being of persons with disabilities.
The second sub-theme was on persons with disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies.
In Zimbabwe, this comprises situations like cyclones and the current El Niño-induced drought, under which more than 80 percent of the country reportedly received below normal rainfall. The National Disability Policy (NDP) of Zimbabwe directs disability inclusion in all the five phases of disaster risk management, namely, preparedness, response, early recovery, recovery and reconstruction.
Sub-theme three was on promoting the rights of persons with disabilities to decent work and sustainable livelihoods.
Indeed, Zimbabwe has since departed from the outdated charity model of disability and adopted a human rights approach, under which the Government takes cognisance of the fact that persons with disabilities have a right to occupy space in the labour market.
The NDP directs that a minimum of 15 percent of public service employees be persons with disabilities.
The private sector and other sectors are also being encouraged to integrate persons with disabilities in employment.
The Department of Disability Affairs in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare is pushing forward a nationwide sustainable livelihoods programme for persons with disabilities in both
rural and urban areas.
To adequately prepare persons with disabilities to enter and thrive in the labour market, the Government pays fees for persons with disabilities to access basic education, from early childhood development (ECD) level, through primary school and up to high school.
The State also provides various courses in institutions of higher learning, which include vocational training centres, polytechnics and universities across the country.
It is pleasing to note that in line with all the three sub-themes of the 17th session of the COSP to the CRPD, our NDP has sections that are dedicated to international cooperation, assistive technology, risk and humanitarian emergencies, and employment and self-reliance of persons with disabilities.
Zimbabwe has since adopted a twin-track approach that seeks to mainstream disability across all sectors, as well as establish targeted disability projects in pursuit of building an inclusive society that leaves no one behind, within our context of the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
Let us all join hands to “rethink disability inclusion in the current international juncture and ahead of the upcoming Summit of the Future”, where the world will come together in September 2024, to forge a new international consensus on how to deliver a better present, as well as safeguard the future.
Dr Christine Peta is a disability, public health, policy, international development and research expert. She is the national director of disability affairs in Zimbabwe. She can be contacted on: developafrica2020@ gmail.com
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