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The Seeing is Believing project has set out to contribute to sustainable provision and increased demand for eye care services at the district level for people in four districts of Zambia.
ZAFOD is implementing a project known as “building DPOs’ capacity in promoting inclusion in ECDE within CBR programs in Zambia” in Kazungula district, Southern province.
The Advancing Disability Equality Project (ADEPt) seeks to directly deal with cases of discrimination and human rights violations against persons with disabilities throughout the country.
ZAFOD participated in the 2017 celebrations to mark the commemoration of International Day for Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) that took place on 3rd December, 2017 in Lusaka.
December 5th, 2017
ZAFOD participated in the 2017 celebrations to mark the commemoration of International Day for Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) that took place on 3rd December, 2017 in Lusaka.
December 4th, 2017
ZAFOD participated in the 2017 celebrations to mark the commemoration of International Day for Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) that took place on 3rd December, 2017 in Lusaka.
December 3rd, 2017
ZAFOD calls on the ECZ to allow correction of disability type during the Voters’ register inspection period and to take stronger action to ensure accessibility of inspection centres and polling stations to persons with disabilities.
LUSAKA – 9 February 2021. The Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations (ZAFOD) calls upon the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to allow voters to review and correct, if necessary, their disability status during the voters’ register inspection period. This request is based on ZAFOD’s findings from its select observation of voter registration, where ZAFOD observers noted that disability types were not consistently registered.
“Although ZAFOD applauds the ECZ for incorporating the registration of disability type into the voter registration exercise, ZAFOD notes with concern that ECZ officials failed to consistently record voters’ disability type, with some ECZ officers recording only disabilities that they themselves assessed such as the visually impaired and those with physical disabilities. Therefore, the register will not reflect the correct disability type of a voter in all cases, which limits the ECZ to provide reasonable accommodation on the Election Day. ZAFOD calls on the ECZ to allow for the correction of disability type during the inspection period and for the ECZ to publicise correction will be allowed so that persons with disabilities can ensure that their disability information is accurately captured”, ZAFOD Federal Director Justine Bbakali said.
ZAFOD’s observers also noted that multiple registration centres visited were not accessible to those with physical disabilities, requiring voters to go up steps or presenting other obstacles to accessing voter registration. These findings, as well as ZAFOD’s concerns on the lack of systematic and complete recording of voters’ disability types are consistent with the nationwide observation findings published by the Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG).
ZAFOD further calls on the ECZ to undertake an analysis of accessibility of venues that will serve as inspection centres and polling stations and undertake adequate measures to make all of these venues fully accessible to persons with disabilities, so they can freely participate in the voter register inspection exercise and in casting their votes on Election Day.
On December 20, 2020, the Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations (ZAFOD) deployed four members of its Technical Working Group, who were duly accredited by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), to eight selected registration centres in three Lusaka constituencies (Kabwata, Kanyama and Chawama Constituencies), following the extension of the voter registration period to monitor the voter registration extension exercise.
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Issued by:
Justine Bbakali
Federal Director- ZAFOD
Tel. 0977785099
Email. bbakalij@gmail.com
Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations (ZAFOD) – www.zafod.net, Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations (ZAFOD) on Facebook, @ZAFOD_Zm on Twitter – Statement on the Accessibility of Voter Registration and Inspection – 9 February 2021
Participation in political and public life is a critical element of socially inclusive development, along with the realization of human rights. In the case of persons with disabilities, participation in political and public life enables one to take part and have a voice in decisions that affect oneself and one’s community and country. Such participation is an important means of overcoming exclusion and discrimination and dismantling other barriers frequently faced by persons with disabilities.
The Government of Zambia, through Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the United Nations in Zambia is convening the 2018 Social Protection Week from Monday 18th June to Friday, 22nd June, 2018 under the theme “Decentralisation and Innovation”.
