By Flata Kavinga
The National Council of the Disabled Kwekwe branch has called for the mandatory inclusion of ramps and other accessibility features in building plans for public facilities before construction is approved.
Branch secretary Evelyn Zimba said the Kwekwe City Council Building Inspectorate Department should ensure that all plans submitted for public buildings meet accessibility requirements to accommodate people with disabilities.
Zimba made the call in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of a Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace Zimbabwe (CCJP-Z) Stakeholders Engagement and Programme Ownership Meeting held at St Edwards Catholic Church in Kwekwe.
She said accessibility should be treated as a requirement at the planning and approval stage rather than being considered after construction.
“When I put a plan to the building inspector, they have to see if it is a public building. Is it accessible? It has to be approved for accessibility and that is not happening,” Zimba said.
She said inadequate accessibility at public institutions continued to create barriers for people with disabilities, citing her experience while working in the council’s Works Department.
Zimba said she was moved from the department after experiencing difficulties using stairs because she relies on crutches, adding that a lift at the council offices was never repaired.
“Accessibility starts from the local authority,” she said, arguing that public buildings should be designed to allow people with disabilities to access services and workplaces independently.
Zimba said enforcing accessibility standards at the building-plan approval stage would help prevent public institutions from becoming inaccessible after construction.
Her concerns come amid broader calls for improved inclusion of people with disabilities in education, employment and access to public services.
