Government has launched the 2025 National Policy on Persons with Disabilities and Mainstreaming Guidelines with a reaffirmation to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities through a multifaceted approach.
Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Ms. Doreen Mwamba has reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring that the policy addresses the plight of persons with disabilities, facilitating meaningful improvements in their lives and realizing their potential and aspirations.
She was speaking today during the launch, in a speech read on her behalf by Ministry Permanent Secretary Ms Angela Kawandami.
Ms. Mwamba acknowledged that persons with disabilities face inequalities and limited access to basic services, employment opportunities, infrastructure, and communication tools and called upon government Ministries and agencies to ensure disability is factored into all programming and budgeting decisions.
Ms. Mwamba further implored Cooperating Partners, civil society, and the private sector to champion accessibility and inclusion in all spheres of life and further encouraged communities and families to embrace diversity and support the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
The Minister observed that the disability mainstreaming guidelines will enhance disability inclusion in social, economic, cultural, and political spheres and also provide a practical framework for dismantling structural and attitudinal barriers that isolate persons with disabilities.
“Mainstreaming disability is not an event but a continuous journey of changing systems, challenging attitudes, debunking myths on disability, and building inclusive structures. It ensures every Zambian, regardless of ability, can access education, healthcare, employment, social amenities, and fully participate in national development,” she said.
Ms. Mwamba disclosed that approximately 7.7 percent of Zambia’s population are persons with disabilities, based on the 2015 national disability survey, translating into thousands of men, women, and children whose full potential remains untapped due to societal barriers.
Speaking at the same event in a speech read on his behalf by Assistant Governance Representative Mr. Gregory Saili, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Mr. James Wakiaga, affirmed support for disability-inclusive development through the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He pledged UNDP’s commitment to working with government to build a society that fully recognizes, respects, and realizes the rights of persons with disabilities across all levels of development and sectors.
Meanwhile, Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD), Board Chairperson Mr. James Kapembwa appreciated the Zambian government’s efforts in addressing disability issues and expressed confidence that the policy will empower and foster inclusivity among persons with disabilities.
Vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary Disability Caucus Ms. Brenda Nyirenda, called for increased parliamentary representation by persons with disabilities to amplify their voices on matters that affect them.
