Report of the CIB Expert Seminar on Building Non-Handicapping Environments,
Harare 1992
Accessibility legislation in Zambia
Febby Chizima, ZAFOD, Lusaka, Zambia
Contents
Of Zambia's population of 8 million, more than 1 million
are persons with disabilities. This number is likely to increase with the
increased number of accidents. The inaccessibility of most infrastructures
in Zambia is a major concern to persons with disabilities as society has
taken for granted that public infrastructures are inaccessible to persons
with disabilities and nothing can be done about it.
Public buildings
Are public buildings accessible to persons with disabilities?
In the past, before the formation of movements of persons with disabilities,
people planned the construction of buildings thinking that they will be
accessible to everybody. Even at present time, we must make an impact in
making a regulation that before they sit down to plan for any public building
to be built, we must have someone to look at the accessibility of that public
building. Currently, we do not know of any law within the country which
suggests that all public buildings constructed must be accessible to persons
with disabilities. The facts are that the way public buildings have been
constructed, both old and new, no consideration about the existence and
needs of persons with disabilities was taken into consideration. For example,
the Bank of Zambia, University Teaching Hospital, Post Office, etc., and
all learning institutions are built in such a way that accessibility to
persons with disabilities leaves much to be desired. The Bank of Zambia
has elevators on the ground floor but from the pavement to the ground there
are steps. Elevators do not stop at the first floor where all business transactions
are done. This creates a very big problem to persons with disabilities,
particularly wheelchair users.
Housing
In our country, those responsible for housing are
the District Council Building Society, National Authority, and a few private
companies. As far as I know, there is no law which says that any housing
unit must be accessible to persons with disabilities. District Councils,
for example, constructed houses and overlooked the problems of persons with
disabilities in general. Therefore, our proposals are that we have to influence
the government when they are making these public housing units, after two
or three houses, the third or fourth must be accessible to persons with
disabilities.
Street environments
From our experience, street environments are not accessible.
Pavements are in such a way that the wheelchair user, or indeed any person
with a severe disability, cannot use this environment easily. Nobody cares
to make street environments accessible. The roads are so busy, especially
at peak hours. What then should be done?
We propose that policemen be placed at each point where there are traffic
lights to control the traffic, especially at peak hours. And that sidewalks
be improved in such a way that wheelchair users and other persons with disabilities
could easily pass.
Public awareness
As far as public awareness campaigns are concerned,
people with disabilities and elderly persons should be in the forefront.
This can be done by defining or demonstrating problems we encounter through
radio, TV, etc. This public awareness campaign must result in a law to support
legislation making inaccessible infrastructures accessible to persons with
disabilities. Churches, the Law Association of Zambia, and other institutions
will humbly be requested to come to our aid.
Harare
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