BY LORRAINE MUROMO THE College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe (Colaz) has called on institutions of higher learning to include students and lecturers with disabilities in their programmes.
This followed reports that students with disabilities were facing challenges in terms of getting admitted at institutions of higher learning and during learning.
Late last year, government launched the National Disability Policy meant to accommodate people with disabilities (PWDs) at both learning institutions and workplaces.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of the Colaz workshop yesterday, the organisation’s national disability representative Peter Masendeke said society needed to understand that PWDs are fully functional and should be accorded adequate resources at learning institutions.
Masendeke said the National Disability Policy stipulated inclusivity of PWDs in every sector.
“PWDs must grab the opportunity brought by government and desist from old ways of living through charity. We emphasise the enrolment of PWDs for higher and tertiary levels of education, and they are able to advance if given equitable basis,” he said.
Section 3.9.15 of the National Development Policy speaks to the establishment of development resource centres for PWDs at tertiary institutions.
Colaz president David Dzatsunga said the National Disability Policy should be implemented at all workplaces so that PWDs become part of the decision-making structures.
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“Institutions should be fully inclusive of PWDs in all facets so that there is totality in terms of integration of PWDs in our institutions,” he said.
Disability and human rights activist Samantha Sibanda challenged Colaz to walk the talk by playing a front role in the development of resource centres.
“Who feels it knows it better. This is the time you should play the leading role because you have experienced the effects of being marginalised,” she said.
