By MAIMBO MWEEMBA
The Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) Copperbelt province coordinator, Anthony Mwansa says that stigmatization against persons with disabilities starts from household level.
Mr Mwansa said when a child with a disability is not made to feel comfortable in their skin from home then, it will be difficult for them to handle criticism from outside.
“The stigma that surrounds persons with disabilities in a home also affects the child’s learning capabilities, in most homes children with disabilities are more likely to feel that they receive unfair treatment compared to their siblings without a disability,” he said.
Mr Mwansa has urged families caring for children with disabilities to make sure that they treat them like any other child as well as instill confidence in them.
He said that so far there is a general policy that education is free for all Zambians which includes persons with disabilities.
Mr Mwansa said that mostly the physical environment is not conducive enough for the differently abled in the main school sectors.
“The main stream education does not have enough teachers to provide services to the physically challenged, which implies that government has a lot of work to do in providing inclusive education for all,” he said.
