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Gibson Mhaka
“THE day they told me they couldn’t register my daughter for school, even though she uses a wheelchair, was one of the worst days of my life,” Shamiso Moyo from Bulawayo’s Makokoba suburb recounted, throwing her hands in the air like one who has been abandoned and forsaken.
“All I want is for her to have the same educational opportunities as everyone else. I had already bought all her supplies, but they said the classrooms weren’t accessible because of missing ramps. I brought her home that day, in tears.”
Shamiso’s lament that her daughter’s dream of a classroom experience and feeling the weight of a book in her hands, the joy of learning has been cruelly denied is not an isolated one.
It reflects the harsh reality of the countless obstacles faced by children with disabilities in their pursuit of education. Although access to education is a fundamental human right, children with disabilities in most African countries including Zimbabwe are often excluded and marginalised.
They persistently face barriers to enjoy their basic human rights and inclusion in education.
Studies show that children with disabilities often live with some of the poorest families, face prejudices as well as discrimination in their communities and are not prioritised in terms of education.
According to the 2013 Living Conditions among Persons with Disability Survey (LCPDS), it was estimated that more than 75 percent of children of school-going age with disabilities were out of school in 2012. This was mainly due to factors such as illness or financial constraints.
For others, it was fear of abuse, discrimination and cultural beliefs that insist that disability is a curse. There are still many prejudices about children with disabilities. People may think they are different, that they have been born with a disability due to a curse on the family and that they are unable to learn.
Speaking at the World Autism celebrations held at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Museum recently, Mariater Mafu (69) spoke about her experiences living with her autistic grandson and how she has learned to accept his condition.
“My 14-year-old grandson was diagnosed with autism at a young age. He was born deaf and has vision in only one eye. He underwent frequent medical check-ups until his mother could no longer manage and left him in my care. I took him to King George VI Centre, and they referred him to Riverside Stimulation Centre where he began to receive educational support,” Mafu said.
Another parent, Xolani Moyo from Bulawayo, shared her experience raising twins with autism.
Initially, she grappled with a mix of emotions, including frustration.
“In 2017, when my twins were three, their pre-school teachers recommended a specialist who diagnosed them with autism. Confusion and frustration overwhelmed me. I questioned why this was happening, sometimes resorting to tears. Tragically, one of my twins passed away. Through that immense grief, close friends offered solace, suggesting the surviving twin could still thrive,” she said.
Believing that children with disabilities who do enrol in schools face various barriers to accessing a quality education, the Zimbabwe Parents of Handicapped Children Association recently convened a meeting with various stakeholders in Bulawayo. The meeting focused on the concerns presented by the Support Groups of Parents of Handicapped Children.
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) was tasked with considering the role of local authorities in promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities. Support groups at the meeting highlighted several accessibility concerns for children and people with disabilities in Bulawayo.
These included limited access to Child Stimulation Centres where they said centres were only located in low-density suburbs, making them difficult to reach due to high transportation costs.
Additionally, fees charged by the centres are too expensive for many families. Inaccessible buildings, both new and existing buildings often lack accessibility features like ramps, making them difficult for people with disabilities to navigate.
In response to concerns about education, the local authority outlined its role in promoting the rights of children with disabilities.
“Council had thirty-one (31) of which all these have rumps erected on all the classrooms and administration blocks door steps for the ease of accessibility by children with disabilities, Council had thirty (30) Primary Schools that offer Special Class lessons for the benefit of learners who had a disability of grasping concepts slower than other learners.”
“Council had a number of schools, though limited currently, that offer Special/Resource Units on specialised areas like hearing impairment, sign language, intellectual handicap and other forms of disabilities, resources allowing, all Council schools need to be inclusive i.e. facilities, manpower and equipment to meeting the needs of learners and Council was always ready to accept viable partnerships in offering relevant services to all residents,” BCC’s response reads in part.
While the Bulawayo City Council has implemented some reforms in line with the Government’s “Education for All” policy, it is important to note that some newly built primary and secondary schools in marginalised areas and disadvantaged urban centres are still inaccessible.
Some of the missing fundamentals include hearing aids; Braille textbooks, audio, video and easy-to-read learning materials; instructions in sign language for children with hearing disabilities; structural modifications to schools, such as ramps for children in wheelchairs; and additional qualified staff to assist children with self-care, behaviour, or other support needed in the classroom.
Online Reporter