ZUAPD Calls for Increased Education Support for People With Disabilities

By Linda Mupemo

Zambia Union of All Persons With Disabilities President Pascal Mulenga - Picture by MISA Zambia

Zambia Union of All Persons with Disabilities (ZUAPD) President Pascal Mulenga has called on Government to allocate more funds to education support for persons with disabilities. 


Mr. Mulenga noted that persons with disabilities are facing challenges in accessing education especially in rural areas. 


Mr. Mulenga said this in a media statement made available to ZANIS.


He explained that despite the free education policy Government is implementing, some special needs children are still facing challenges in accessing education due to the severity of their conditions.  


"Some special needs children have critical conditions which cannot allow them to be moving from home to school on a daily basis hence they need to be in boarding school. However, some parents to special needs children have limited financial resources to afford boarding fees hence their children are not in school, " he said. 


Mr. Mulenga stated that Government should also look into lowering prices of special education learning materials which are costly.


"Government should consider removing tax from special education materials. For instance, an ordinary ream of plain papers costs about K 140 while a ream of braille plane papers costs over K1, 500.  This is too expensive for an average person with a disability to afford," he said. 


He added that pricey special education learning materials contribute to the low levels of education among persons with disabilities which perpetuates their vulnerability. 


"Persons with disabilities are already disadvantaged. There is need to ensure they attain personal development so that they can also contribute to the social economic development of the country," he said. 


Meanwhile, Mikula Ward Councillor in Milenge District Mwape Chisenga has implored persons with disabilities to take advantage of the education opportunities government has provided so far to enable them fund their studies.  


Mr. Chisenga noted that Government is offering education support through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) secondary school bursaries and skills training.  


" Government is giving bursaries to vulnerable members of society under the CDF bursary scheme.  We are calling on persons with disabilities in Milenge District to apply for these opportunities," he said. 



 

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