Bulawayo disability inclusion in focus: Is enough being done?
By Nobukhosi Ndlovu
A recent evaluation conducted by disability activists with support from Transparency International Zimbabwe has revealed alarming disparities in service delivery for persons with disabilities in Bulawayo.
The Disability Inclusive Scorecard, a report on the community score card evaluation of health care accessibility for people with disabilities (PWDs) assessed 19 Council run clinics and revealed a troubling trend of exclusion and inaccessibility.
The report shows that only 10.53% of the clinics were rated as good in terms of physical accessibility, while a staggering 89.47% were rated poor. This means most clinics lack ramps, wide doors, or accessible toilets, basic infrastructure necessary for persons with mobility challenges to access healthcare services with dignity.
“To truly ensure equitable access, our healthcare facilities require comprehensive renovations that prioritizes accessibility,” one of the research participants highlighted.
Tariro Gurure, author of the research and disability inclusion expert highlighted that the biggest barriers to inclusion for people with disabilities in Bulawayo is the infrastructure that when renovated, does not have people with disabilities in mind.
The researcher explained that during their study, it came to their attention that aside from Healthcare facilities, most buildings in the city that are being renovated are resorting to the use of cubicles which are not entirely user friendly for people using crutches or wheelchairs.
This came as a major concern of how the city is further excluding the conditions that have to be put in place for the comfort of people with disabilities.
The findings of the research go beyond physical infrastructure. The DISC research analyzed how many clinics also fail in inclusive communication and staff training. In this regard, it was noted that people with hearing, visual, or cognitive impairments struggle to engage with healthcare providers who are not trained in alternative communication methods like sign language or braille.
“One thing that this research brought to attention was the lack of access to information for persons with disabilities, especially those that are visually impaired or have a hearing impairment. They cannot communicate if the nurse or the healthcare provider is not vexed with braille or sign language. This forces them to go with an assistant, which might be expensive for them,” Gurure said.
“While the presence of ramps offers a welcome step towards accessibility, the communication gap posed by the apparent lack of sign language proficiency among nurses remains a significant hurdle,” another partaker of the project also stated.
The report also provided record that in terms of staff training and attitudes, clinics rated as good stand at 27. 78% while clinics rated as bad were rated at 33. 33% which pointed at staff unpreparedness.
According to the report, this systematic neglect perpetuates inequality as people with disabilities face longer waiting times, inadequate treatment or being excluded from receiving care.
Part of the recommendations tabled by the report emphasised the importance of clinic staff training, specially in regards to sexual health and for that information to be provided in formats such as Braille and audio to empower individuals to make informed decisions about their well-being.
As the disability and inclusion activists push for better service delivery for people with disabilities, the report serves as a reminder that inclusion in all spheres of life is not optional or debatable, but a right.
Gurure highlighted that since the report presents key issues identified in the study, it serves as an advocacy plan aimed at guiding the council toward improved accessibility and inclusion.
“This flip book looks at the issues that we have gathered and it aims to help city council look at areas of improvement in terms of access to healthcare service for persons with disabilities,” she said.
The documented issues and recommendations also double as a tool for policy reform that can be used to encourage local authorities to address disability-related gaps in their existing systems.
