The president of the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), this week, urged employers to stop turning away jobseekers because they have disabilities. There have been cases where people are denied employment even when their condition does not affect their work output. It is unfortunate that such discriminatory tendencies are still common in a country which has actively promoted the rights of the disabled, and created conducive legal and institutional frameworks that allow people living with disabilities to realise their full potential – just like any other citizen. The existing political will has resulted in initiatives and polices that have helped empower disabled people. They now have equal access to education and public healthcare and are represented at the various leadership levels.Nonetheless, it is clear that whereas the government has played its part, most employers, particularly in the private sector, remain reluctant to hire people living with disabilities, their qualifications notwithstanding. There’s need for concerted sensitisation to not only ensure that the regulatory mechanisms that are in place are respected, but to help the public understand that having a disability does not automatically cripple one’s ability to perform or deliver at the top level. Equally significant is the need for public places to have facilities that ease access for people with disabilities.
