Masvingo provincial registry
Star Matsongoni
Vimbai,
a vibrant young girl who has just finished her degree in education, wants to
visit the Masvingo Provincial Education Director (PED) but fails to get to his
office because she is wheelchair-bound and the office is on the second floor of
Wigley House.
a vibrant young girl who has just finished her degree in education, wants to
visit the Masvingo Provincial Education Director (PED) but fails to get to his
office because she is wheelchair-bound and the office is on the second floor of
Wigley House.
Stairs
are the only way up so basically the office is inaccessible for her and this
means the PED, Zedius Chitiga, has to go down stairs and meet her there.
are the only way up so basically the office is inaccessible for her and this
means the PED, Zedius Chitiga, has to go down stairs and meet her there.
The
PED’s office is not the only public office which is not structurally sensitive
as almost all others are generally not user-friendly to people with
disabilities.
PED’s office is not the only public office which is not structurally sensitive
as almost all others are generally not user-friendly to people with
disabilities.
Chitiga
told TellZim News that if such disabled people want to seek audience with him,
he has to go down stairs and meet them on the ground floor.
told TellZim News that if such disabled people want to seek audience with him,
he has to go down stairs and meet them on the ground floor.
Masvingo
provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Charity Mazula, whose office is
also on the 2nd floor, said in such a scenario, she would also have
to go down stairs.
provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Charity Mazula, whose office is
also on the 2nd floor, said in such a scenario, she would also have
to go down stairs.
“It
doesn’t necessarily mean you should always come to my office, because I myself
can go down stairs and meet you at the most convenient place,” said Mazula.
doesn’t necessarily mean you should always come to my office, because I myself
can go down stairs and meet you at the most convenient place,” said Mazula.
Many
people, however, feel that such an arrangement is not the best since it often
involves some bit of waiting to be done, and for other people to be
inconvenienced since an official would have to leave his/her seat to attend to
one person elsewhere.
people, however, feel that such an arrangement is not the best since it often
involves some bit of waiting to be done, and for other people to be
inconvenienced since an official would have to leave his/her seat to attend to
one person elsewhere.
Indications
are that only a few organisations are fully accommodative to people with
disabilities and their fully able-bodied counterparts.
are that only a few organisations are fully accommodative to people with
disabilities and their fully able-bodied counterparts.
The
office of the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs is on the 3rd
floor of Benjamin Burombo building and there is no elevator to cater for those
who cannot use the stairs.
office of the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs is on the 3rd
floor of Benjamin Burombo building and there is no elevator to cater for those
who cannot use the stairs.
When
the now late Shuvai Mahofa was appointed minister, she had to swap offices with
the provincial medical directorate as she could not climb upstairs due to poor
health and old age
the now late Shuvai Mahofa was appointed minister, she had to swap offices with
the provincial medical directorate as she could not climb upstairs due to poor
health and old age
Association
of the Disabled and Elderly Persons of Zimbabwe director (ADEPZ) Bernard Fovera
said they had challenges accessing those offices.
of the Disabled and Elderly Persons of Zimbabwe director (ADEPZ) Bernard Fovera
said they had challenges accessing those offices.
“There
is high inaccessibility of public spaces resulting in maximum exclusion of
people with disabilities. A ramp would be fairly good but is not the most ideal
option because it still requires manpower to push me up the building,” said
Fovera.
is high inaccessibility of public spaces resulting in maximum exclusion of
people with disabilities. A ramp would be fairly good but is not the most ideal
option because it still requires manpower to push me up the building,” said
Fovera.
Other
activists feel that public institutions like the police and local authority
offices could be made more accessible by building ramps to enable wheelchairs
to be pushed with greater ease.
activists feel that public institutions like the police and local authority
offices could be made more accessible by building ramps to enable wheelchairs
to be pushed with greater ease.
Both
ends of the Masvingo Central Police Station have stairs that make it impossible
for wheelchair users to have easy access to the offices.
ends of the Masvingo Central Police Station have stairs that make it impossible
for wheelchair users to have easy access to the offices.
At
work places, the inclusion of people with disabilities remains elusive as most
organisations do not have disability-sensitive human resource policies.
work places, the inclusion of people with disabilities remains elusive as most
organisations do not have disability-sensitive human resource policies.
The
education sector is also not accommodative enough since most schools have no
facilities that respond to the special requirements of people with
disabilities.
education sector is also not accommodative enough since most schools have no
facilities that respond to the special requirements of people with
disabilities.
An
interesting observation to note is that big supermarkets have ramps but these are
not installed in response to the requirements of wheelchair users, but in order
to allow trolleys to be pushed in and out without many hassles.
interesting observation to note is that big supermarkets have ramps but these are
not installed in response to the requirements of wheelchair users, but in order
to allow trolleys to be pushed in and out without many hassles.
