Source: Zim pushes disability inclusion reforms – herald
Takunda Gambiza and Takudzwa Mangrozah
THE Government has launched a three-day National Disability Symposium in Harare to assess the country’s progress in promoting the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, with officials calling for stronger implementation of policies and increased funding for disability programmes.
The symposium, running under the theme “Towards an Inclusive Future: A Self-Assessment of the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Zimbabwe,” has brought together government ministries, organisations of persons with disabilities, development partners, civil society and private sector representatives.
Addressing delegates, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Edgar Moyo said the gathering sought to evaluate whether Government policies on disability inclusion were being effectively implemented.
“This event is not only ceremonial, but it is a technical checkpoint, a governance instrument, and a national mirror.
“We meet to take stock: to interrogate policy design, to test implementation fidelity, and to fine tune our systems so that inclusion is not an aspiration but an operational reality,” said Minister Moyo.
The minister said Zimbabwe had strengthened its disability inclusion framework through the new Persons with Disabilities Act and the National Disability Policy launched in 2021, which promotes inclusion in health, education, employment, transport, housing and information communication technologies.
He said Government had also developed UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities-compliant budgeting guidelines to ensure ministries mainstream disability programmes in their budgets and operations.
“Policy commitments without budgetary backing are aspirational only.
“We must institutionalise budget tagging for disability, creating dedicated line items for assistive technologies, community rehabilitation, and inclusive education,” said Minister Moyo.
Minister Moyo said the symposium will focus on identifying challenges affecting disability inclusion, including inaccessible infrastructure, gaps in social protection coverage, shortages of assistive technologies and limited disability data.
“Only through such an honest audit can we prioritise interventions that yield measurable improvements in participation, employment, learning outcomes, and wellbeing,” he said.
He announced that within 90 days, the government would compile a baseline report identifying priority gaps and resource requirements, while a pilot programme for disability identification cards would begin within 120 days.
Harare Metropolitan Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Senator Charles Tawengwa, represented by his Permanent Secretary Shingirayi Mushamba, said the symposium came at a critical time as Zimbabwe sought to align disability inclusion with national development priorities.
“The National Disability Policy has 33 standards to meet the rights of persons with disabilities. As such, social protection alone is not sufficient if we are going to record inclusion of persons with disabilities,” Minister Tawengwa said.
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