Andrew
Sunday Mail Reporter
TERTIARY institutions should establish resource centres to cater for the needs of people with disabilities, the College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe (COLAZ) has said.
COLAZ believes this will be a significant step towards achieving inclusive goals spelt out in the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
Speaking at an event organised in partnership with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, COLAZ president Mr David Dzatsunga said the increase in students with disabilities seeking admission at tertiary institutions enjoins colleges to turn their institutions into inclusive centres of learning.
“We want the tertiary institutions to walk the talk. Government has played its initial part in establishing a policy which is specifically designed for the disabled. However, this needs to be taken into practice,” he said.
“We want to realise implementation of Disability Resource Centres (DRCs) in colleges and polytechnics so that potential learners with disabilities are spoilt for choice and they can choose institutions they can be enrolled in.
“Currently, the University of Zimbabwe, Kwekwe Polytechnic and Mutare Teachers colleges have established the DRCs, but we want these to be everywhere across the country.”
Society, he said, needs to acknowledge that people living with disabilities are fully functional if accorded adequate resources.
“We have to move away from the charity model and adopt the human rights model where people with disabilities have rights like everyone else.”
Currently, University of Zimbabwe has an enrolment of 196 students with disabilities; 76 of them visually impaired, 72 physically challenged, 32 are living with albinism, 11 have hearing impairments and five are wheelchair users.
Online Reporter