THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT |ZIMBABWE I 2017 People with Disabilities The same obligation on the state must apply on all The Constitution contains progressive provisions institutions that offer services to the public like banks. with regards to the realization of the rights of In considering what society can do, the Forum carried people with disabilities (PWDs.) The Constitution out a survey on how friendly the social services in recognizes the rights of PWDs among its founding Harare Central Business District are for persons values and principles and as part of the national with disabilities. The Forum visited 21 institutions in objectives. Section 22 provides that all institutions Harare to assess disability friendliness in three areas: and agencies of the government at every level must for physically impaired persons into recognize the rights of persons with physical or mental 1 access the building disabilities, particularly their right to be treated with respect and dignity and sign language is one of the officially recognized languages of Zimbabwe. 51 The 2 readiness and capacity to assist the visually Constitution also addresses other issues aimed at impaired promoting the rights of PWDs e.g. reserving seats for PWDs in Parliament. Zimbabwe ratified the 3 readiness and capacity to assist the hard of Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities hearing (CRPD) in 2013 and is yet to adopt legislative measures to implement its commitments under the The results are an indictment on both government Convention. Of immense importance is the Disabled and private institutions. Persons Act [Chapter 17:01] 2001 which regulates several matters as they relate to the rights of the Of the 21 institutions investigated, only three were disabled persons. The Act provides for the right to ready and capable of assisting persons who are access social, and public services as enshrined under deaf or experience difficulties with hearing. Both subsection 8 of the Disabled Persons Act [Chapter state and private hospitals visited do not have sign 17:01] and section 83 of the Constitution. language interpreters effectively placing an obstacle in the way of the right to health care for affected PWDs are one of Zimbabwe’s most marginalized persons (section 76). 11 buildings out of 21 (including groups. They suffer from widespread violation of hospitals) have wheelchair ramps and elevators that their fundamental freedoms and rights. They face work. However, there are still old buildings, which exclusion from education, employment, cultural do not have provisions for wheelchair ramps. These activities, festivals, sports and social events and are accounted for 10 of the visited institutions. On a especially vulnerable to poverty, physical and sexual positive note, assistance for the visually impaired violence, lack of access to health care, emotional among the visited institutions were 16 though it abuse and neglect. could not be ascertained if the assistance comes from trained professionals and is sanctioned by the Building a Disability Friendly institution or it is just courtesy from security guards and compassionate staff members. Three leading Society Realising the rights for persons with disabilities listed banks were visited in the CBD and none of them had in the Constitution requires a great deal of investment the capacity or showed readiness to assist the deaf. in making public spaces friendly for persons with disabilities. This goes beyond simply what This was also true of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. government can do but brings in the private sector Munhumutapa Building, the seat of government especially such institutions that provide services for showed no readiness or capacity to assist disabled the public. Section 22 (4) of the Constitution obliges persons in all three categories assessed. Although the the State to take appropriate measures to ensure authorities interviewed claimed there were ready to that buildings and amenities to which the public has assist, such assistance was not made readily available access and are accessible to persons with disabilities. when our undercover team attempted to use such 51 See section 6 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013 38