Weakened disability sector needs support
The new Disability Resource Centre is expected to assist disability organisations, volunteers and parent-led organisations that are increasingly weakened by the limited resources in the disability sector.
The Centre was conceptualised to close service gaps in education on rights for persons with disabilities in order to promote more inclusive development and in nurturing and supporting parents-led organisations and other disability service organisations to better serve individuals with disabilities.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of State President that houses the National Disability Coordinating Office, Goitsemang Morekisi admitted that there are still many challenges that need to be addressed in the disability sector, especially because of the loss of international partners in light of Botswana’s middle-income status.
“We still have a lot of work to do if we are to fully accommodate persons with disabilities,” she said.
Morekisi said in efforts to address challenges Botswana has acceded to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
To ensure that the country abides by the eight principles of the Convention, Morekisi said government is currently developing the Disability Bill that is expected to be enacted by Parliament in the next financial year.
The accession to the convention comes with commitments to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities that have to be fulfilled. Botswana is also in the process of preparing the first-ever report on the Convention on
the rights of people with disability, which should be submitted in August this year.
She said as much as government has to develop a responsive policy framework, the business community needs to open up employment opportunities for persons with disabilities and support value-add projects through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
“Through the Disability Resource Centre, Botswana Council for the Disabled (BCD) will have coordinated, structured and evidence based programmes that will monitor human rights situations of persons with disabilities across the country,” she said.
She added that they would also document cases and liaise with the Disability Coordinating Office in the Ministry and other stakeholders to find long-lasting solutions to challenges experienced by persons with disabilities.
Botswana Council for the Disabled Executive Director, Moffat Louis said the Centre will provide practical assistance to disability organisations by facilitating them on proposals or any other activities.
He said the more disability organisations provide services to people with disabilities, the more the Council would be achieving its mandate. “We need more Batswana to do something in the sector and this Centre will facilitate that,” he said.
The Centre will provide incubation for founding members, the Down Syndrome Association of Botswana and Autism Botswana. Louis explained that the support would not only be limited to the two organisations, but many other organisations, resources permitting.
“Our human rights and paralegal unit will be key services that will be offered to people with disabilities. We will need to take issues of human rights seriously and acting on violations,” he said, adding that this is on the backdrop of Botswana’s ratification of the UNCRPD.
University of Botswana Legal Clinic and Legal Aid Botswana have also partnered with BCD to help facilitate services.
Jessica Dawson, the Programmes Manager at the Embassy of Canada to Zimbabwe which funded the establishment of the Resource Centre through the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLA) for P495 000, 00, said meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities is the central focus of Canada’s foreign aid policy.
Sir Seretse Khama Fund, which funds initiatives for the Coordinating Office contributed P300, 000, 00 towards the Centre.
Dawson said their work entails strengthening the ability of civil society organisations to advocate for persons living with disabilities. She said it is critical that persons living with disabilities are able to become full and equal members of society.
All advocates, allies and members of government, donors, need to work together to support civil society organisations in communities to provide support and resource and meaningfully contribute “We are delighted to have supported this project financially along with financial contribution from the government of Botswana,” she said.
Among positive advancement in supporting persons with disabilities, government provides the Disability Cash Transfer to support qualifying individuals.
Applying Affirmative Action across different government departments towards people with disabilities such as land policy guiding land allocation, reduced entry marks for tertiary education for learners with special needs and local procurement scheme supported by the newly-approved Economic Inclusion Act.
Government has also established special education units across the country, as well as provision of financial support to disability service organisations to complement government’s efforts in rendering services to people with disabilities.