Continued use of young children as guides for blind persons disheartening - Dr Hamukale

Government says it is concerned about the continued use of children as guides for visually impaired people, as their access to education is affected. 

Southern Province Minister Edify Hamukale says it is disheartening for children to miss school at the expense of their visually impaired parents and relatives. 

Dr Hamukale said this vice was detrimental to children and their right to education and would result in a new generation of street kids. 

“You are disadvantaging young people by using them as guides. You may not realize it but you are robbing them of an opportunity to be in school,” he said. 

He appealed to persons with disabilities not to perpetuate the vice but instead manage the situation to prevent breeding an uneducated crop of future trouble makers. 

ZANIS reports that Dr Hamukale said this when he officiated at a capacity building workshop on rights for persons with disabilities, organized by the Human Rights Commission in Livingstone on Monday. 

He said government took great interest in protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. 

And Human Rights Commission Chief of Information, Education and Training Mweelwa Muleya said disability was part of life and a reflection of human diversity. 

Mr. Muleya called for the removal of barriers that prevented persons with disabilities from fully participating in economic activities. 

He said the Human Rights Commission was holding workshops countrywide for persons with disabilities (as rights holders); duty bearers and journalists to highlight the rights of persons with disabilities. 

Meanwhile, government says it is against discrimination of persons with disabilities with regards to employment opportunities. 

Dr Hamukale says that even with the required academic qualifications, persons with disabilities were deliberately left out by prospective employers. 

Dr Hamukale stressed the need for persons with disabilities to contribute to economic activities as they possessed numerous talents and skills in various fields. 

“As government we want to build an all-inclusive society so our appeal to employers is to reserve a particular percentage of available vacancies for qualified persons with disabilities.