Harare — THERE is need for a national policy on disability in Zimbabwe to address the various needs and constraints which people with disabilities are subjected to, the Advisor on Disability in the Office of the President, Cde Felix Muchemwa, has said.

Stressing that disability did not mean inability, Cde Muchemwa said society had tended to exclude those with disabilities by not treating them as normal human beings deserving rights and freedoms.

"Sadly, there has been very little will power on the part of society to extend these fundamental rights and freedoms to people with disabilities, to include them in the developmental activities of the society and remove the various barriers that prevent them from accessing these rights," he said.

Cde Muchemwa made the remarks at a two-day conference for the physically challenged organised by the National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped held in Harare last week.

He said the workshop was a significant step in the drive towards attaining the goal of inclusion of the physically challenged in societal activities.

Cde Muchemwa added that the major aim was to promote and protect the rights of the disabled as well as disseminate information on the rights of the disabled.

"I am not a stranger to disability myself as I was a victim during the liberation struggle and I am fully aware of the constraints that people with disabilities face," he said.

Cde Muchemwa said he was not happy that people with disabilities were failing to speak with a united voice and pointed out that the fragmentation of efforts was unnecessary, self-defeating and detrimental to the advancement of disability issues.

"Co-operation at every level is necessary for the successful articulation of disability issues. In this vein, efforts should be made for all organisations for the disabled to work together," he said.

Cde Muchemwa noted that the absence of a national policy on disability was hindering a proper address of issues pertaining to the disabled.

"I have also noted, during the short period that I have been in office, that the absence of a national policy on disability is hindering the advancement of disability issues in the country. A policy on disability is, thus, overdue and my challenge to those with disabilities is to come up with meaningful ideas that would allow informed and representative formulation of the policy," he said.