Disability RightsDisability rights have been promoted by movements. These movements are more active and successful for persons with physical than those with developmental impairments. There is a myth that most persons with disabilities are unproductive. The rights movement have pushed for changes and this has brought about increased awareness of issues of persons with disabilities and integrating these people into society.
Partly in response to the rights movement and without going into much detail, the United Nations (UN) in 1994 adopted standard rules for equal opportunities for people with disabilities to remove discrimination against people with disabilities. This was a universal requirement so every Government was required to act on it. The primary issues for people with persons with physical impairment is accessibility and safety. Access to public places such as shopping malls, churches and public toilets are some of the changes brought about in recent times. Access to education and employment have also been a major focus for the rights movements. Disability Transport is accessibility to public transport by persons with impairments. Persons with disabilities should also have access to private transport depending on issues of affordability and other circumstances. Access to public transport is important to persons with impairments and their families and care givers in order to participate in community life. However, in Zambia standards set in relation to issues such as access paths, ramps and boarding devices allocated spaces, handrails and other provisions for persons with impairments are in inadequate.
In new and modern buildings provisions for accessibility for persons with impairment have been made. Old public buildings which are the majority in Zambia do not have the provisions for accessibility for persons with impairments. However, the Agency in charge of persons with impairments may order an organisation to make adjustments to a building so that it is accessible to persons with impairments.
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