ZAMBIA: Lack of resources hampers efforts to help disabled

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

LUSAKA, 7 Apr 2005 (IRIN) - A lack of resources is hampering the Zambian government's efforts to implement the Disability Act, which would improve the lives of the physically challenged, a senior official told IRIN.

"Political will is there, but everything goes around resources ... User-friendly buildings will cost more and even buses will have to be custom-made," said Marina Nsingo, the acting Community Development and Social Services Minister.

The Disability Act of 1996 not only ensures the rights of the handicapped but also compels developers to ensure that buildings are accessible to them.

There are no official statistics on the number of disabled in Zambia, but the World Health Organisation uses an estimate of 10 percent of the population, which equates to a million Zambians living with physical challenges.

Despite its lack of resources, government would try to ensure that new public buildings, especially schools, were accessible to disabled persons, Nsingo said, adding that although government would like to encourage owners to modify their properties to accommodate those with limited mobility, it was unable to give tax rebates as an incentive.

The failure to implement the Disability Act has continued to subject persons with disabilities to pain and "torture", said Constance Sachelo, executive director of the Zambia National Association for the Physically Handicapped (ZNAPH), at a recent workshop in Ndola, the provincial capital of Copperbelt.

Sachelo cited the lack of disability-friendly facilities, such as adjustable beds in hospitals and inaccessible school buildings.

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