People with disabilities (PLWDS) have expressed concern over discrimination in schools saying there is need for integration.
PWDs want all schools to have learning facilities that cater for every student than isolating them in schools meant for students with special needs.
This was revealed by ward 4 villagers of Bikita during a Communication and Advocacy Dialogue meeting in ward 5 facilitated by Union for the Development of Apostolic and Zionist Churches in Zimbabwe (UDACIZA).
“For us people with albinism we have always been sent to Copota school for the blind for isolation because we have special needs, we plead with government to include us in devolution funds so that it goes towards catering for our special needs in schools where everyone goes.
We need schools to have brailles that we use to read or write because of our poor vision, we also need devolution funds to provide us with school hats, sun glasses and many for our children with such condition,” lamented ward 4 villager who is albino.
Another villager with albinism who sought anonymity lamented the same saying that: “The whole PWDs needed same treatment as able bodied persons, hence the need for their special needs catered for in schools near their places of residence than to board a bus to a school far away but with your special needs, we plead with government to assist us especially with devolution funds.
“All schools should have structures that are user friendly everywhere,” a Villager lamented.
The Councilors for ward 4 in Bikita Gwashira Manyurure confirmed to Hevoi FM News that indeed PWDs faced so many challenges that needed urgent attention.
“Surely in my ward i have got many people who are disabled and some who are albino, they are facing a lot of challenges which start from starvation to not managing to build their own toilets because they are not able bodied.
“This is a big challenge, we kindly seek for help so that they can live a dignified life,” Manyurure said.
The Initiative for Community Development in Zimbabwe (ICODZIM) inclusion officer Yemurai Ngoma told Business Times that as an organisation there are advocating for intergration in schools so that PWDs were not discriminated from mainstream schools.
“As an organisation we are advocating for intergration in schools so that PWDs are not discriminated from mainstream schools, all schools should meet every child’s need,” Ngoma said.
She added that: “There are also giving health workers education to learn sign languages as enshrined in the constitution just like any other language in the country,” added Ngoma.