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Business Reporter
The Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) has handed over 180 laptops to schools and institutions that cater for people physically challenged.
This comes as access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become key in the fast growing digital world. ICT is seen as a major driver for economic growth.
The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and Midlands State University (MSU) received 50 laptops each while Ingutsheni Central Hospital, Chengetai Special School, Nzeve Deaf Centre and Henry Murray each received 20 laptops.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Harare, POTRAZ director general Dr Gift Machengete highlighted the need to promote inclusiveness and ensure no one is “left behind” in the digital world.
This is in line with several global commitments such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the Transforming the World 2030 Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, more recently the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy which are all related to inclusiveness.
“It is from this backdrop that I find it a pleasure and honour to be officiating at this hand-over ceremony of ICT equipment to institutions catering for persons with disabilities, as we seek to advance inclusivity in the access and use of ICTs.
“Such inclusivity will certainly breed progress and development, not only for the disabled community but for the country at large owing to enhanced participation in the digital economy by all,” said Dr Machengete.
It is estimated that more than one billion people or 15 percent of the world’s total population, have one form of disability or the other, whether physical or cognitive with the majority in developing countries, including Zimbabwe.
Additionally, a large number of people physically challenged live in marginalised rural communities where they are further disfranchised by the lack of telecommunication infrastructure to enable them to also participate in the digital economy.
This creates more scope for initiatives like those by the telecoms regulator to support these communities access ICT products and services.
“Furthermore, Strategic Goal number two of the ITU focuses on “inclusiveness” and its Target 2.9 – calls on ITU members to ensure that ‘By 2023, enabling environments ensuring accessible telecommunications/ICTs for persons with disabilities should be established in all countries’,” said Dr Machengete.
The authority distributed computers to schools under its e-learning programme. The schools each had initially received five computers in the past and were given the outstanding computers to bring the total to 10 computers for each school.
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