Disability LawDisability law is a presentation of laws of disability of Zambia. It is based on the Persons with Disabilities Act of 1996. The basic principal is that all human beings have rights regardless of their station in life. All human beings, be it able bodied, a person with disabilities, man or woman, all these human beings have the same rights to living. The law covers discrimination on the grounds of disability. Discrimination may include in terms of employment or recruitment of persons avoiding or not favouring a person just because he or she is has some disabilities. In addition, in learning institutions such as schools, colleges and universities, discrimination against a person with disabilities is not allowed. If a learning institution is found wanting in this particular case, it may be prosecuted by the Government. Although the disability law has been passed in Zambia persons with disabilities experience discrimination in their day to day lives. My daughter with Cerebral Palsy qualified to go to grade 8. However, she could not get a place in the “normal” school and her special school could only go up to grade 7. The Parents Teachers Association in consultation with the school lobbied government to open a grade 8 class at the school. The grade 8 class was established in 2011. However, the school does not have the requisite equipment and teachers for grade 8 class. So the grade 8 class is a pilot scheme and the school as to register as an examination centre for both grade 7 and grade 9 school examinations. The school has to meet certain requirements before it can be registered as an examination centre. For the time being the pupils have to go to a nearby official examination centre to sit for the examinations.
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