The International Labour Organization (ILO) in partnership with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, University of Zambia (UNZA) and the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) have embarked on a mass registration exercise for people living with disabilities in Western Province.
ILO Technical Advisor, Kagisanyo Kelobang said the aim of the registration is to identify and record details of all people living with disabilities so that they can also benefit from social protection.
Mr Kelobang disclosed that currently the Information Management System (IMIS) has very few numbers of persons with disability prompting ILO to embark on an ambitious exercise to capture all the people with disabilities in Western province.
Speaking during a courtesy call on Western Province Minister, Kapelwa Mbangweta this morning, Mr. Kelobang said the exercise will be conducted in eight districts of Western Province namely Mongu, Kalabo, Senanga, Shangombo, Sesheke, Mwandi and Lukulu.
“We want to capture all the details of people living with disabilities so that they too can enjoy full rights of the law,” he added.
Zambia Agency for Persons with Disability (ZAPD) Inspector, John Kinuna said the registration exercise will also enable people living with disability to be certified and access a personal disability card.
“There is a requirement in the government where for every one living with disability to access a service, they have to produce a personal disability card,” he pointed out.
Mr. Kinuna said most of their members have been disadvantaged from accessing government services because they did not have the required identity card.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Minister, Kapelwa Mbangweta has commended ILO and its partners for initiating such a programme that will benefit the people living with disability in the province.
Mr. Mbangweta has since urged the team to use the local radio stations to sensitize the people about the mass registration.
“You need to first sensitize the people through the local radio stations so that they are aware of this exercise even before you go into their districts,” he said.
Imagine for once if the so-called able bodied were in the minority. It is time we got into the mindset of setting thresholds for humanity and not blundering along in little collectives with silly labels. Equip your institutions for all manner of capability and ability so this doesn’t even make the news. Vaupuwa masiku wonse! Sha!!