Disability HIV/AIDS Human Rights Programme Director Elijah Ngwale says the capital City, Lusaka has become un-friendly to the persons with disabilities.
Mr. Ngwale says physical environment does not favour persons with disabilities in terms of infrastructure because persons with disabilities do not have access to roads, schools, houses, health facilities among others not only in Lusaka but also other towns in the country.
The Disability Activist has for this reason challenged the Zambia Environment Management Agency (ZEMA) to monitor the guidelines that impede the rights of his members.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Ngwale said this in an interview as the country joins the rest of the world in commemorating the World Environment Day, today.
He said since the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the Convention on the rights of persons living with disabilities in 2006 in which rights of disabled people are enshrined, only three countries have domesticated the Convention.
He regretted that most African countries neither have disability legislation in place nor have made any effort to mainstream issues of persons living with disabilities in their programmes.
Mr. Ngwale has however commended the Zambian Government for being proactive in dealing with issues pertaining to persons with disabilities in which the Zambian Government enacted the Persons with Disabilities Act number six of 2012.
The theme for 2013 World Environment Day celebrations is dubbed, “Think. Eat and Save.
Think.Eat.Save is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages people to reduce their food-print. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year an estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted.
FAO further reports that 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger.
This year’s campaign sensitizations seeks to take action from homes and then experience the power of collective decisions from people in positions of influence including political will from respective governments.
This is to reduce food waste, save money, minimize the environmental impact of food production and force food production processes to become more efficient.
ZANIS
Its very easy to see why the city, if not the country, is unfriendly to the disabled. Not a single comment from the bloggers even those who spend the whole day commenting. Mostly on Sata
You are right. No one, including Sata cares about disabled. With these bloggers, most of them grew up in fear of ifilema. They say “if you laugh or criticize at a disabled, you may have disabled children”.
The blind are also disadvantaged, they are missing out internet.
One issue I’d like to raise is that of some of the compounds where it is difficult to get a vehicle through. Disabled people, and those who are injured or sick, do not find it easy to get out, especially when they need to go to the clinic. I’m not a fan of the compound demolition plans, as I think it’s just a way to push people off the land for businesses, but the government should seriously look at improving the roads there, and maybe compensating some homeowners in exchange for demolishing the houses and widening roads and pathways.
We claim to be a chhristian nation but what we do is parralel to what we claim to be.Its like we are wolves in sheep’s clothing.if we are the body of christ,why aren’t our hearts showing love to the less previledged or why can’t we give part of the wealth that we keep with greedy intentions to the needy.It makes me feel bad when i see how the disabled are treated,like trush or something detastable.instead of gathering large amounts of money to use it as a weapon of opression and power,why can’t we use it as a blessing to the disabled?
Firstand foremost the first paragraph of this article is misleading; Lusaka, and indeed any other town in Zambia, has never been friendly to people with disabilities in terms of the infrastructure found there. I am not entirely sure that Zambia has an Act to take care of persons with disabilities. For instance such an Act would ensure that all public buildings have ramps and special bathrooms for people with disabilities. Public places should also have designated parking slots for such people. The UNZA Library should be commended for having a ramp connecting all floors. It shows that it was designed by a very knowlegeable and experienced architect. There is more to be done in Zambia as far as matters relating to persons with disabilities are concerned.
Zambia has a disability act and it was recently reviewed. The only problem is its implementation as usually not enough resources are allocated for programmes targeting persons with disabilities.
In Kenya am deaf person to friend with all persons with disabilities to be think all things to work but not enough resources that i open new Un persons with disabilities which can i get new certificate sir or madam what can i do it now