MPs want to refine disability laws

21 Aug, 2016 - 00:08 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

 

Legislators are pushing for sign language and Braille to be compulsory subjects in all learning institution, while also lobbying for urgent tax suspensions for critical equipment used by people with disabilities.

At least 1,3 million Zimbabweans are officially recognised by Government as having some form of disability that puts them at a disadvantage in society.

And despite the country enacting the Disabled Persons Act in 1982, the disadvantaged continue to face various challenges such as stigma and discrimination.

The Act is yet to be harmonised, as part of a broader initiative encompassing other pieces of legislation, with the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe to broaden support for people living with disabilities.

Section 75 of the Constitution provides for education for all and there have been calls from support groups for free education for sign language and Braille at primary level.

Chegutu West National Assembly representative Cde Dexter Nduna (Zanu-PF) said there was need for urgent tax concessions in the 2017 National Budget to reduce the cost of equipment and material used by people living with disabilities.

The legislator will raise his arguments in a motion that has been listed on the roll in the Lower House and is set to be moved for debate any time soon.

Cde Nduna is seconded by proportional representation representaitve Cde Rossy Mpofu (Zanu-PF).

The legislators will call upon Government to “introduce tax concessions starting from the 2017 (National) Budget for critical equipment such as wheelchairs, Braille and crutches to ensure that they are affordable to the majority of people living with disabilities”.

They also want the State to “Make sign language and Braille all-inclusive and compulsory for all institutions of learning to provide a well rounded education system for people living with disabilities and needing such learning and education”.

The motion further seeks urgent harmonisation of laws with the United Nations Conventions of Persons Living with Disabilities.

Despite the country boasting of high level awareness on the issue of disabilities, the lawmakers argue there are no institutionalised strategies for both primary and tertiary education for people living with disabilities.

Government has over the past decade extended tax concessions such as suspension of customs duty on specified motor vehicles imported by physically handicapped persons for their personal use.

Last year, Government and Unicef launched the first Living Conditions Among Persons with Disabilities Report that brought to attention urgent needs of people with disabilities in Zimbabwe.

The report showed that 19 percent of children with disabilities did not proceed beyond Grade Seven, and the percentage increased for those proceeding to Form Four.

It was further revealed that when children with disabilities attend school, their level of schooling is below that of their peers as literacy rates among people with disabilities stood at 77 percent against national levels of 93 percent.

Children with disabilities were more likely to have a serious illness that could have led to death in the 12 months preceding the report, including high blood pressure, malaria and HIV and Aids.

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