Dr Tom Tom, Research Fellow at DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Social Policy in the College of Graduate Studies

Dr Tom Tom observed that more than 15% of the world’s population (more than 1 billion people) have some form of disability (United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, 2021). One hundred and eighty member states of the United Nations (UN) have ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and seven targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) explicitly refer to persons with disabilities. More than 80% of people with disabilities live in developing countries such as Zimbabwe. The national prevalence of disability in Zimbabwe is approximately 15%. Disabilities are mainly the result of congenital factors (23,2%) and illness or disease (47,4%). The other causes of disabilities are injuries or accidents (11,2%) and violence, including gender-based violence (5,5%). The most prevalent categories of disability in Zimbabwe are physical, visual, hearing, intellectual and mental disabilities.

Tom highlighted that disability is a concern regarding development and social policy. People with disabilities are said to be more susceptible to poverty and are more likely to be excluded from development and social policy initiatives than people without disabilities. There are multiple hindrances to rights, freedoms, wellbeing and inclusion for people with disabilities. These hindrances relate to various aspects, including societal and individual perceptions of disability, limited political will, lack of reliable data, ineffective legislative frameworks, and inadequate prioritisation of the inclusion of people with disabilities by state and non-state actors.

While acknowledging diversity, the development and social policy approaches and practices in most developing countries are characterised by lacunae regarding disabilities. In this context, social policy, specifically transformative social policy, has a significant role to play in improving the wellbeing of people with disabilities. Social policy is meant to serve all people. People with disabilities are citizens of countries like everyone else. They are individuals and groups with rights, yet they are experiencing enduring exclusion.

Tom mentioned that in Zimbabwe, the state provides social security through cash transfers, assisted medical treatment (AMT) orders and food relief, administered by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare (MoPSLSW). This three-pronged social assistance is affected by multiple challenges and deficiencies, such as limited government capacity in a context of declining macroeconomic performance, bureaucracy in processing assistance, meagre pay-outs compared to the spiralling cost of living, reduced services because AMT orders are accepted in public hospitals only, travel orders that are not received by private transport operators and claims of rampant corruption by public officials. Non-governmental organisations provide additional assistance. However, significant challenges also exist within this form of assistance, such as coverage limitations, unjustifiable selection criteria, lack of reliability, a transformative impact deficit and alleged corruption. In other contexts, the limitations of cash transfers are interrogated in social policy literature (Adesina, 2020, 2021; Ouma & Adesina, 2019).

Concerning the accessibility of public and private amenities, the design of buildings, roads, recreational facilities and complementary infrastructure are critical factors in determining accessibility for people with disabilities. Critical issues concerning accessibility include the absence or poor maintenance of ramps and support rails, narrow entrances, malfunctioning elevators and uncovered trenches. In addition, most people with disabilities use public transport. Yet, the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO), a parastatal and private operator, does not have buses that cater to people with physical disabilities, such as those in wheelchairs. Concerning the accessibility of information or communications, significant gaps exist in the availability of information in accessible formats, such as Braille and sign language. There are insufficient Braille and sign language specialists, and inadequate service delivery that is disability responsive and transformative.

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The Covid-19 pandemic has had disruptive, severe and harmful effects. The provision of information about the pandemic was initially not inclusive of persons with disabilities, particularly those with hearing impairments. For example, about 400 000 people with hearing impairments were affected by the non-availability of sign language in broadcasts that provided official information about Covid-19 before the April 2020 High Court ruling that the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation should also broadcast this information in sign language. Assistive technologies or devices have also been raised as essential for the safety of people with disabilities and the enhancement of accessibility.

To improve security and accessibility for persons with disabilities, Tom recommended the adoption of a transformative social policy (TSP) approach so that problems are addressed sustainably and equitably. The TSP is based on a broader view of social policy, stretches beyond minimum provision, has multiple functions or tasks, is anchored in diverse instruments that can be used either individually or in combined formats and has a more significant transformative impact than the other social policy approaches. Accordingly, the TSP has a higher potential to enhance the wellbeing of persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups.

* By Hanli Wolhuter, Communication and Marketing Specialist, College of Graduate Studies & Musa Buthelezi, Intern, College of Graduate Studies

** Teaser image source: Shutterstock