ZCC Launches National Disability Survey.
Joseph Andrasi
Harare- The Zimbabwe Council of Churches has launched a report on a national disability survey focusing on day-to-day challenges faced by people with disabilities.
The report was launched on the 1st of September 2021 through the ZOOM virtual platform due to Covid 19 restrictions and with ZCC General Secretary Rev Kenneth Mtata officiating the event.
The launch was attended by ZCC members, organizations for people with disabilities, civil society organizations, members of the media, and church representatives.
Rev Mtata explained that the report gives solutions to the problems being faced by the disabled in different communities.
“As a church council it is our mandate to see that people with disability’s issues are raised and addressed equally the same as non-disability,” said Rev Mtata.
One of the issues covered in the survey is education as it is the right for every citizen. ZCC also highlighted that they are working on inclusion particularly of women and children with disabilities as one of their strategic focus points.
Speaking on the same launch Samantha Sibanda from Disabled Women Support Organization urged local authorities to construct and upgrade their buildings to accommodate people with disabilities. She also highlighted the need to establish interpreter officers at different companies to accommodate those who use sign language.
“Close to 15 percent of buildings in the country are friendly to people with disability, while over 75 percent are not user friendly especially for those using wheelchairs as most elevators in the buildings are not working.
“Only 28 percent of Civil Society Organizations advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the private sector and national issues while 72 percent don’t even know how the process is done to fight for inclusion of people with disabilities in the development of the nation,” said Samatha.
Hwange Central MP Hon Daniel Molokela said the report is an achievement in Zimbabwe as churches find it very important to speak on the issues that affect the disabled community. He also urged the church and disability organizations to implement and advocate for the report.
Hon Monekela also promised to table the report before parliament and urged ZCC to engage other church and civil society groupings over the report
