Living on the periphery

People living with disabilities in Namibia remain one of the most marginalised groups in society and experts agree that the country is not “disability friendly”. Although there are good laws and policies in place, implementation is sluggish worsening the country's record on being inclusive to citizens living with disability.A Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) report, based on the 2011 census, found that people with disabilities “still endure the worst forms of social stigma in their communities, with many being hidden by their family members because according to some beliefs, deformation is a shame.”The report highlighted the worrying status quo that people with disabilities “are typically overlooked in Namibia” and that only a third of people with disabilities receive the disability grant. Moreover, the country's overall social environment is unfriendly towards these citizens, with layman language often still discriminatory and mocking. Dr Cynthy Haihambo Ya Otto, head of the educational, physiology and inclusive education faculty at the University of Namibia explained that words like 'crippled' and 'wheel-chair bound' are terms that focus on the negative aspects and overshadow people's abilities and potential. Many worry that people and children with disabilities are absent from conversations, debates and initiatives centred on boosting overall employment, education, health and furthermore, vulnerable members of society, even though those living with disabilities, are denied equal opportunities and support.The 2011 NSA report found that close to 100 000 persons live with a disability in the country, but critics have pointed out that the census questionnaire did not address people with Down Syndrome or autism, which casts doubt on the actual figures. “When they knocked on my door in 2011, not a single question was asked about disability even though my youngest daughter has Down's. It left me wondering how many households were skipped in the survey and how reliable the data it has produced,” a concerned parent told Namibian Sun. Time for change Recently, the department of disability affairs in the Office of the President advertised a call for quotations for consultants to help review and propose amendments to key disability laws and policies, as well as asking for a number of further studies on persons living with disabilities. While experts and parents applaud these initiatives, they said government should prioritise time and money on improving the implementation of existing laws and broadening overall awareness and inclusivity. “We are definitely not yet a disability-friendly society. We still have low expectations and look down on people with disabilities,” Haihambo Ya Otto, said.Kim Koch, an educator and mother of a son living with a disability, and the founder of JJ's Care Centre in Walvis Bay which provides education and support to children with disabilities, said that in Namibia, “pensioners have more benefits than disabled persons”.She said society lacks awareness on relevant issues and challenges, including the types of disabilities people live with as well as limited access to quality education and health plans.“This shows that people with disabilities are not treated equally. They are not on the agenda.” Elsa Murangi, director of the Walvis Bay Sunshine centre says.“We think that persons in Namibia, especially the children who are living in the poor areas of the country, are one of the most side-lined groups in the country,” she said. She added that while the laws are in place “there is a huge need to evaluate and follow up on how the laws are functioning in practice. There is a very big gap between theory and practice.”An expert, who has worked closely with people and children living with disabilities, said Namibia does a great job in recruiting consultants to draft policies. However, “these policies pile up in cupboards and are not really being implemented to serve their purpose.”He said that “policy makers talk too much and do the minimum. They do not ensure that the policies are implemented.” In his view “no progress has been made so far to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access and opportunities” in Namibia. A mother whose child has a developmental disorder said the “instruments are in place, but the implementation thereof is difficult or non-existent, due to financial constraints or employment of the wrong people.”She added however that, many people are heavily dependent on government and society in general should also shoulder increased responsibility to help improve the conditions under which many people living with disability live.“Government is expected to do everything. People are slack in organising themselves and doing something.”Limited opportunitiesApart from the social stigma that is still widespread in the country, including access to buildings which is a requirement of the United Nations Convention on Persons with Disabilities, to which Namibia is a signatory, Haihambo Ya Otto says that Namibia's stance towards people with disabilities is limiting their overall chances of establishing secure, respectable and fruitful lives.“We really disable people by limiting their access, not only physically to buildings, education programmes and so, but also emotionally by not believing in them, by staring at them, excluding them and depriving them of information and belittling them.”She said while government has put people with disabilities on the agenda, as is evidenced from the various disability departments and councils, laws and policies, these people “remain at the margins of society”.“In schools, most children with disabilities are not enabled to succeed, and they are exposed to teaching and learning strategies that work for the typical learners when some are far from being the typical learner,” Haihambo Ya Otto said. Murangi explained that in her experience, many parents struggle to cope with the demands of a child with special needs, and this is worsened by the lack of access to support services. “Many mothers struggle to cope with the stigma, unemployment, lack of skills. Many are blamed and told it is a curse. They are not getting help. Because of limited grants, these families are not able to cover the basic needs.”She said children from poor families are hardest.Inclusion“We desperately need a focus on implementation of real measures, facilities and support infrastructures for people with disabilities in this country,” Eline van der Linden, chair of the Down Syndrome Association of Namibia (DSAN) said.She said that Namibia still needs a lot more before the country can be labelled as inclusive to persons with disabilities. “People with challenges are often excluded due to lack of access to basic services and facilities.”She said that the issue of inclusion involves more than accessibility to buildings, but should focus on ensuring equal access to information, education and more.The focus on broad inclusion is weak currently, Van der Linden explained, pointing out that when the state pension was increased in 2014, the disability grant for minors and adults were not part of the initiative.The disability grants for minors is currently N$200 per month and for adults N$650.Moreover, access to speech and occupational therapists, as well as physical therapists, is restricted, if at all available. “That is what money should be spent on if and when the government puts its weight behind the plight of people with disabilities. Our children can live a healthy, active and happy life, with necessary support.”Murangi added that a critical problem is children in the education sector. “There is a big need for knowledge in Namibia on how to treat children with special needs in an inclusive way, both in kindergartens and in schools.”The FutureFor many of those working with children living with disabilities, the crucial issue is access to and quality education as well as job opportunities. The options for parents wanting to send their children to school's that cater for various disabilities, physical and mental, are limited.“There is a huge demand for special needs learners to be accommodated in school and also a need for after-school training facilities,” a source with experience in education for people with disabilities said. He added that the issue of job security is another key point that is rarely addressed.“We have more and more students with disabilities who go through programmes and graduate. But the majority of them face difficulties finding employment, not because they are not qualified, but because of the myths that they will not cope with their jobs,” Unam's Haihambo Ya Otto explained.Koch said every school should offer classes that cater for the needs of children with disabilities, allowing children with disabilities to interact daily with their counterparts at school. Moreover, she said the country should focus on providing increased job opportunities to people with disabilities.“There are many people capable of working, but they are not given an opportunity. Just because someone is in a wheelchair, does not mean that they can't do the job.”The numbers Last year, the Namibia Statistics Agency launched a report on people living with disabilities, based on the 2011 census, which showed that persons with disabilities in Namibia increased from close to 43 000 in 1991 to 98 500 in 2011. The report found that the number of children with disabilities aged zero to four-years-old that were not attending an Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme had increased from 3 359 in 2001, to 5 135 in 2011.Moreover, 28.9% of persons with disabilities, five years and older, had never attended school. The highest proportion of persons with disabilities with no formal education was people living with blindness and visual impairments. A total of 306 households in Namibia were headed by children with disabilities in 2011, and a total of 175 households were headed by orphans with disabilities, an increase of 68 households since 2001. JANA-MARI SMITH

Living on the periphery

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-13

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Living on the periphery

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-13

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