THINGS seem to be shaping themselves for the better at the National Federation of People with Disabilities since the new management team has been in place. The national board of the federation has finally approved a five-year strategic plan.
It has been useless to be in the leading role without any leading tool to give direction.
The appointment of the long-awaited project manager will lead to the efficient running of affairs of the Namibia Disability Programme, and the re-opening of one of our regional offices in Oshakati.
A Disability Unit at the University of Namibia has been officially launched to cater for students with special needs. Joan Beare, a VSO volunteer with skills in Braille and sign language, heads the unit.
The question remains that when she leaves at the end of her contract, who will then be able to run the unit? The unit is of utmost importance for students with disabilities because it helps them with their assignments.
As we all know the university was built in a way that is disabling for the physically challenged, visually impaired and deaf students – they are faced with challenges when accessing the lecture rooms, while able-bodied students are enjoying the front. They need to be sensitized, lecturers should be the first to be sensitised as some of them don’t know how to deal with the kind of students.
According to the Dean of Students, there are around 35 students with hearing, visual, and physical disabilities, as well as albinos. Her office is to do with welfare of the students at the university. Accessibility is a big problem at the university, and this includes library, lecture halls and even hostel rooms.
The centre is of great importance for students with disabilities and it is hoped that after the major launch event that more students become aware of this resource centre and the help it has to offer, particularly women who so far have not made use of the facility. There is, though, one major disadvantage with the seating of the unit as it is on the top level without disability access.
During the launch of the resource centre the keynote speaker emphasised that the media should play a role in marketing the Disability Unit and he noted that the terms used by media practitioners are not good when he referred to terms like, living with disabilities, differently-abled, special needs/disabilities – “we are people with disabilities, we don’t have a sickness/illness”.
For me, students with disabilities pursued their studies under difficult conditions without supportive devices but now with the opening of the resource centre one hopes this will be the answer for students with disability problems.