FODPZ in massive disability awareness trainings
FODPZ in massive disability awareness trainings
September 30, 2022
Chrispen Tabvura
Choice News Africa
Bulawayo – Federation of organisations of Disabled People in Zimbabwe, an organization for people with disabilities, has gone an extra mile in educating all people with disabilities, on their rights and recognition by the society that include all government entities.
People with disabilities have been shunned and isolated from the public eyes either by their parents or relatives, as it was classified as a curse or belief to conceive a child with disability, thereby forcing those with such children to confine them indoors, far from public discernments.
The recently held training workshops in both Matabeleland North and Bulawayo metropolitan province, aimed at empowering people with disabilities.
Memory Mandikiana, Programmes Manager, and Elisa Ravengai, Disability Inclusion Specialist, carried out extensively researched presentations, which were outstanding for advocacy and information dissemination, for the majority of people with disabilities.
“You must learn and understand that you have an important role, you play in the society. This training will equip you to help those you live with in your communities. As people with disabilities, leaders must include you in all activities, because you are human beings too, with equal representation in the country’s law of the land,” said Memory Mandikiana.
Her presentation was echoed by the organisation’s Disability Inclusion Specialist, Elisa Ravengai, who encouraged people with disability to stand their ground on advocating for their human rights space, in all organisations.
“Our courts must also abolish or modify laws that are discriminatory, to people with disabilities. We really need protection, from the government, because it is the duty of the government to protect people with disabilities,” she said.
The massive disability advocacy training was attended by community leaders, traditional leaders, Police, Social development department and representatives of disability organisations, from Matabeleland South and Bulawayo metropolitan provinces.
According to presentation by FODPZ, the current constitution of Zimbabwe, is full of grey areas that cannot protect people with disabilities, making it difficult for the government to fully recognize the rights of people with disabilities.
People with disabilities are also facing almost all levels of discrimination, from the societies that they live with including some sections of the government.
Several buildings and shops are not accessible to wheel chairs, more than 42 years into the independence of the country, thereby exposing the government’s lack of policy implementation, in favour of people with disabilities.
Senator Nasper Manyau one of the representatives of people with disabilities in parliament, came face to face with government’s failure to implement laws to do with disability inclusion, when she failed to enter one of Chicken Inn outlets along Jason Moyo street, in Bulawayo which was not friendly to wheel chairs.
The current Disability bill, which is before the parliament, for scrutiny, is an improvement of the previous 1996 that has very little representation to people with disabilities.
The participants were also empowered with constitutional information, United Nations charter for people with disability, Social development and inclusion in all government organisation.