A study carried out in Zimbabwe in 2007 estimated the disability prevalence rate in the country to be 1.4 million of the total population which the 2012 census pegged at just above 13 million. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability explains that the disabled are those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on equal basis with others.
People with disabilities have been exposed to discrimination and socio-economic exclusion because of stigma, some negative traditional beliefs, unfounded stereotypes in the society and at times ignorance. There are disheartening situations where families isolate or hide their disabled family members. They deliberately remove them from public view as they erroneously consider them to be “cursed” or “disgraces”. This is a violation of the “inherent dignity and worth of the affected person”. Children with difficulties in most cases encounter difficulties accessing education as they are not integrated in mainstream education as a result they end up having to look for special schools which are very few and far between. Women and girls with disability are often at greater risk of abuse, isolation and exploitation in the society hence they need to be protected.
The issues highlighted above are just a tip of the iceberg as people living with disabilities are confronted with countless other challenges on daily basis. This is the reason why we have deliberately chosen to make their issues one of our top priorities. The Friendly Society advocates for a more inclusive society, a more inclusive education and health system that equally cater for all. In her study of the rights and livelihoods of people with disabilities, Dr Tsitsi R Choruma calls Zimbabweans with disabilities the “Forgotten Tribe” as she highlighted that their rights and special needs have lately been overlooked. The study prescribed “… programmes to be put in place to create awareness, to enable people with disabilities to become productive members of society, and to generally uphold the rights of people with disabilities to good health, education, and favourable living conditions.” This prescription and other recommendations from various conventions and declarations made concerning people with disabilities guide our efforts to make this world a better place for them.
