Virtual Seminar by Dr Tapson Mashanyare

Abstract

Although Zimbabwe has made significant progress in developing a policy framework to address the needs of people with disabilities, through various legislative measures such as the Disabled Persons Act (DPA), the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and adopting a new Constitution which has provisions for disability rights, people with disabilities in Zimbabwe have yet to benefit from these policies, as they are not fully implemented. Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 young people with disabilities aged 18 to 35, and 5 key informants in Gweru, to analyse their perceptions regarding the disability policy framework in Zimbabwe. The results showed that most participants lacked knowledge on existing disability-related polices. This was attributed to poor implementation of such policies and negative societal attitudes towards disability rights. As a result, youth with disabilities are not fully benefiting from the current disability policies due to a lack of knowledge and implementation gaps. The participants suggested full implementation of such policies and involvement of youth with disabilities in policy formulation and implementation.

Bionote

Dr Tapson Mashanyare holds a PhD in Social Sciences from North-West University. His research interests are in inclusion and disability studies, gender studies, key populations, HIV research, and the intersection of climate and health. With two peer-reviewed publications and two conference presentations, Tapson is committed to advancing social justice and equity through interdisciplinary research and evidence-based advocacy.