2020 IDPD theme cheers ZAFOD President Catherine Kasola Chiseketi

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2020 IDPD theme cheers ZAFOD President Catherine Kasola Chiseketi

By Derrick Sinjela

ZAFOD President Catherine Kasola Chiseketi

We are truly excited to celebrate the International Day for Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) under the theme: “Building Back Better: toward a Disability inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 Zambia,” said an elated Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations (ZAFOD) President Musola Cathrine Kaseketi.

Ms. Kaseketi regards the Thursday 3^rd December 2020 IDPD theme as an empowering one on account of its envisaged mission to embrace a diversity of voices on matters and concerns facing persons with disabilities.

According to Ms. Kaseketi persons with disabilities appreciate the 2020 “Building Back Better: toward a Disability inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 Zambia,” rallying point as it represents a collective aspiration.

“This theme speaks to our very aspiration of a society that is truly inclusive; a society in which political leaders, policy makers, designers of infrastructure, health providers, educators, business men and women, transporters and the general public at large proactively work towards an inclusive society… a society in which roads, schools, hospitals, hotels, markets, offices and even private homes are accessible to persons with disabilities,” noted Ms. Kaseketi.

Acknowledging political will towards an inclusive Zambian society, Ms. Kaseketi says a society in which all service providers are disability oriented and friendly…yes, a society that leaves no one behind is worth aspiring for and admirable.

However, the Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations President conceded that a lot remains to be done to transform political will into practical benefits for children, men and women with disabilities in the country’s ten provinces namely; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Muchinga, Northern, North-Western, Southern and Western.

“We must ensure that children, men and women with disabilities in Zambia can enjoy their inherent dignity, live an independent life and can reach out for opportunities available in society, on an equal basis with others,” noted Ms. Kaseketi pointing out that such an ideal situation in Zambia can only happen when duty bearers and and right holders commit to Statutory Instruments (SIs) that will translate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and  complementary local instruments into implementation frameworks, including penalties for those refusing or neglecting to implement legal provisions contained in these progressive instruments.

Admonished Ms. Kaseketi: “It is totally unacceptable that 56 years after independence persons with disabilities cannot vote freely; cannot access vital information about public affairs; and cannot access hotels, transport facilities and public buildings! Therefore, as we celebrate this most important day, we look beyond with confidence that this day marks the dawn of a new era, in which all well-meaning Zambians, and indeed foreigners working or doing business in our country will decisively unite to “Building Back Better: toward a Disability inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 Zambia”.

The Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations (ZAFOD) President Musola Cathrine Kaseketi protested that as persons with disabilities, her peers had complained enough with regard to raised concerns.

“We have cried enough, we have begged enough…indeed we have spoken enough! Now is time for action. We are now demanding for what rightfully belong to us. We are demanding for human development services, such as inclusive quality education and skills training, improved health services, nutrition, social security and an accessible social and physical environment, so that we too can build our capabilities to freely and meaningfully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others,” pressed Ms. Kaseketi.

To this end, Ms. Kaseketi argued that the Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations will leave no stone unturned in engaging all relevant authorities and players in the local economy to get desired responses.

“We strongly believe there is no reason or excuse left anymore on why we cannot build a Zambia that is inclusive and that leaves no one behind! Happy IDPD,” prayed Ms. Kaseketi.

ZAFOD is the national civil society umbrella body of and for organisations of persons with disabilities in Zambia that advocates for the promotion and protection of disability rights including the inherent dignity of persons with disabilities.

ZAFOD exists to facilitate the unification, capacity building and efficient networking of disability organizations in Zambia as instruments of positive change in the lives of persons with disabilities and in their communities, including supporting the inclusion of persons with disabilities in both political and public life including electoral processes. ZAFOD believes in debate and discussion and welcomes the exchange of ideas, however, ZAFOD requests that all engagement on our Facebook page be respectful of the views of others and ZAFOD does not tolerate the use of hate speech or profanity.

https://twitter.com/ZAFOD_Zm 

2020 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (IDPD)

Speech by ZAFOD President Catherine Kasola Chiseketi

We are truly excited to celebrate the International Day for Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) under the theme: “Building Back Better: toward a Disability inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 Zambia”.

This year’s theme means a lot for us persons with disabilities as it speaks to our very aspiration of a society that is truly inclusive; a society in which political leaders, policy makers, designers of infrastructure, health providers, educators, business men and women, transporters and the general public at large proactively work towards an inclusive society… a society in which roads, schools, hospitals, hotels, markets, offices and even private homes are accessible to persons with disabilities.

A society in which all service providers are disability oriented and friendly…yes, a society that leaves no one behind!

We do acknowledge and appreciate the political will towards an inclusive Zambian society.

However, a lot remains to be done to transform political will into practical benefits for children, men and women with disabilities across the country, so that they too can enjoy their inherent dignity, live an independent life and can reach out for opportunities available in society, on an equal basis with others.

Such a Zambia can only happen when we commit to Statutory Instruments (SIs) that will translate the UNCRPD and its complementary local instruments into implementation frameworks, including penalties for those who refuse or neglect to implement legal provisions contained in these instruments.

It is totally unacceptable that 56 years after independence persons with disabilities cannot vote freely; cannot access vital information about public affairs; and cannot access hotels, transport facilities and public buildings!

Therefore, as we celebrate this most important day, we look beyond with confidence that this day marks the dawn of a new era, in which all well-meaning Zambians, and indeed foreigners working or doing business in our country will decisively unite to “Building Back Better: toward a Disability inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 Zambia”.

As persons with disabilities, we feel we have complained enough, we have cried enough, we have begged enough…indeed we have spoken enough! Now is time for action.

We are now demanding for what rightfully belong to us. We are demanding for human development services, such as inclusive quality education and skills training, improved health services, nutrition, social security and an accessible social and physical environment, so that we too can build our capabilities to freely and meaningfully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others.

To this end, we will leave no stone unturned in engaging all relevant authorities and players in our economy to get the response we have desired for so long, because we strongly believe there is no reason or excuse left anymore on why we cannot build a Zambia that is inclusive and that leaves no one behind! Happy IDPD.