Courage Dutiro
People With Disabilities (PWDs) have called upon government and other stakeholders to ensure inclusive information dissemination so as to bridge the information gap on climate change to improve their inclusion.
This comes amid the realisation that many PWDs do not understand climate change issues even if they experience consequences.
Annah Shiri, former senator for PWDs said lack of inclusive information dissemination methods on climate change and its effects is an impediment to the inclusion of PWDs in climate change action in Zimbabwe.
“PWDs have no adequate information about climate change due to lack of inclusive information dissemination tools such as braille for persons with visual impairment.
“Also most persons with disabilities are not in the ownership of cell phones due to economic difficulties, hence information cascaded through cell phones is not being accessed by many of the PWDs, therefore most PWDs are left behind in climate change issues,” said Shiri.
She also said as a former senator, they are advocating for the inclusion of PWDs in climate change action.
“We are engaging the authorities responsible for issues to do with climate change, including the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) so that people with disabilities can actively participate in disaster risk management committees,” she said.
Disability Amalgamation Community Trust (DACT) director Henry Chivhanga said the document for the climate change policy of Zimbabwe does not cater for other PWD groups as it is limited to one format.
“It is limited in one format. We need such information in braille, sign language and in various local languages. This guarantees effective information dissemination,” said Chivhanga.
He also said the perspectives of PWDs on Climate change are not recognized in the national climate change policy.
“It seems our contributions towards climate change issues are of less importance since we are not included in the planning stages. Our perspectives are not infused in the policy framework in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Zimbabwe Disability Advocacy Empowerment Rehabilitation Technology (ZDAERT) International founder Cover Mugwadi said issues to do with PWDs are not usually upheld because some of the people who are imposed to represent PWDs in the Senate have less knowledge of disability.
“It is unfortunate that the people who are appointed to represent us have little knowledge about disability issues. Thus the reason why perspectives of PWDs are not infused into policies,” said Mugwadi.
