VACCINATION WOES FOR THE DISABLED

PEOPLE living with disabilities are facing challenges in accessing Covid-19 jabs despite the current nationwide mass vaccination drive.

Henry Chivanga, the director for Disability Amalgamation Community Trust (DACT), an organisation which advocates the rights of people living with disabilities, said there were challenges for those living with disabilities to get vaccinated.

“There are a lot of challenges depending on whether one is living in rural areas or in town, for instance in rural areas information is not widely advertised including in sign language and Braille.

“People with disabilities are not given priority to get the vaccine at centres and this is forcing them to spend hours in queues. There is also an issue of transport challenges from point A to B since bus fares are not readily available; the sources of livelihoods have been destroyed for some,” he said.

He added: “Some of the clinics are very far apart and mostly there are is transport to enhance mobility.”

Another representative from Sunrise Sign Language Academy, Gerald Hara said they were mainly focusing on Sign Language Training and Interpretation services and Disability Advocacy.

He said there has not been much communication in sign language for the deaf regarding the vaccines.

“During this Covid-19 vaccination programme there has not been a robust advertising and communication in their (deaf community) language in regards to the vaccination program which makes the deaf to be scared and sceptical of the vaccines.

“Also bear in mind health facilities might not be able to converse in sign language to be able to ask relevant information like home address like identification numbers and so forth, so there is need for more which is why we once partnered with the ministry of health in training primary councillors sign language.

“But with regards to vaccination we might have few people being knowledgeable of sign language, so it is true they are facing challenges in communication from the health staff and advertisement in general; all this derails the vaccination program for the deaf community in Zimbabwe,” said Hara.

Hara said they were ready to partner with the Government as they always do to help out the deaf community to appreciate the importance of vaccinations.

“We are here to work with the government as we always do, so we are also saying that now the vaccination programme is here and it is ongoing of which it is critical for everyone; we need to make it robust.”