Disabled people in Namibia still face prejudice, National Disability Council there reports

From New Era in Namibia:

OSHAKATI, Namibia – People with disabilities continue to face widespread prejudice as a result of ignorance among the public as well as some national leaders, a recent fact-finding mission by the National Disability Council (NDC) has revealed.

A five-member delegation of the NDC is on a fact-finding mission to the regions of Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Omusati and Oshana. The mission started on August 15 and ends on August 27.

One of the members of the fact-finding team, Meliberius Haukambe, told New Era the delegation was deeply concerned about the “general undertaking” of the community regarding persons with disabilities in almost all the regions they have visited thus far.

“As a nation, we need to work together to challenge pre-conceptions and show what a positive contribution to society people with a disability can make. This includes working, living independently and playing an active role within the local community.”

Haukambe said the mission exposed public ignorance about what constituted a disability, with almost the majority of respondents wrongly identifying disability.

Ignorance by policy makers about the needs of persons with disabilities (PWDs) is a major cause for PWDs lagging behind in terms of development, the official said.

He noted that policy makers in local government were the most ignorant about the needs of PWDs.

Haukambe alleged that many people “simply do not understand or know how to relate to people with disabilities.

I can’t expect that we would all fully understand every disability out there, but we can strive to learn, understand and appreciate people where they are and as they are.”

The delegation consists of Haukambe, Joseph Ndinomupya, Manfred !Howaeb, Tuulik Nekundi and Mercy Kufuna.

They are accompanied by three officials from the Ministry of Health and Social Services.

During the mission, they met various stakeholders, local authorities in the regions, and at selected schools and institutions which render services to people with disabilities.

They told a press conference on Friday that the mission primarily aims at meeting key stakeholders, introducing the role of the council, and creating awareness on the National Disabili-ty Council Act and the need to include the special needs of persons with disabilities in all areas of society.

A health ministry official, Waltraud Munkanda, said the council hopes to learn, share and gather useful information from the mission to help with future preparation and planning as stipulated in the Act.

The NDC was established by an Act of Parliament – the National Disability Council Act (Act no.26 of 2004) – and was inaugurated by the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Richard Kamwi, in August 2008.

The council consists of 13 members, seven of whom represent organisations of people with disabilities; three members from the ministries of health, education and labour; one member from a union, one member from private sector employers, and an expert in the field of disability.