How Tanzanians Perceive The Concept of Disability

The current guiding factors for Tanzanians to perceiving the concept of disabilities

To grasp the concept of disability and its effects for Tanzanians can be divided into several factors, and these differ in their ways to handle people with disabilities, the extend of perception of the term disability and the experience through which people with disabilities are going through. Here are the notable categories:

People with disabilities

These are the individuals who experience the immediate effects of disabilities. They pass through all cross-cutting problems related to disabilities. Most of them are poor people, uneducated, affected much by disease including HIV/AIDS, they are disadvantaged group, they live in bad conditions, and they are vulnerable group. Most of them are not employed. These people are seen as burden to the society. People with disabilities are exposed to risk conditions such as the killings of albinism people in Tanzania. They find unfriendly environments everyday in their communities. Therefore, this category of group contains people who experience the practical unbearable cross paining. They are always on the crucifixion vantage. This group of people should carefully and intensively be served with suitable assistive devices and other related services.

Families with people who have disabilities

This is the second group of people who can face the immediate challenge and come to realize what disability effects look like. If these people in this group are not well given basics on how to handle people with special needs can for a short time give up. Most parents divorce each other, experience suicide and compounded stress, they experience economic crisis and are isolated by other members of society by being regarded as curse and/ or punishment from God/gods for evils they did in the past. This group should be assisted to lessen the effects of disability within the family.

               

                      Elites

This group of elites (educated people) is very small group of people, mainly are teachers with special education training and the physicians who experience the immediate effects of disability when performing their assigned tasks, be it teaching and learning processes or attending the patients. This group is the key to understanding the technical terms and the practical nature about the disability and its effects to individuals and society at large. It is through this group that other members of society can gain knowledge. However, this group can have optional decision not to consider their profession in relation to disability affairs and still not be echoed by the effects of disability. The group should be supported for effective performance of its professions.

                                     Charity people

This is the fourth group of people in Tanzania which is not directly affected by the effects of disabilities. It is a group of people from different affairs in the society such as individual business men and women, religious institutions and disability-oriented NGOs. They feel obligated for helping people with disabilities. Some groups and individuals in this group show charity to people with disabilities due to various triggers as follows;

Religious institutions

The religious institutions like Christianity and Islamic do so because in their holy books of Bible and Quran are instructed to do so to people with disabilities. These people believe that helping other people especially those with disabilities is one way of being blessed by God and the way to eternal life in paradise.

NGOs

Sometimes an NGO can have the mission to help people with disabilities but employ people who are not disability-charity oriented. They perform their duties as an employment and the only way of earning their income. However, these people may gradually be transformed into disability culture, being aware of disability effects.

Presidential office Institution

This is an institution which is headed by the president of the United Republic of Tanzania. The institution is annually gives gifts and offers to vulnerable groups including people with disabilities on special occasions and specified notable days. Christmas day, New Year, and Eid Elfitry for instance are good examples. The offers are given on behalf of presidential office. To this office, it is the day to show how the government is concerned with all people including those at risk positions in life like people with disabilities.

              Families and people who are not directly affected by disabilities

This is the fifth and the last group of people to grasp the meaning and the concept of disability. It is composed of ordinary people, wealthy people, and even people with different positions within the government system. These people feel themselves are free from being affected by disability in a direct way. They see and consider themselves as having chances and privileges to enjoy pure life within the society. The dangerous problem with this group is that, once they experience disability become disappointed, self-isolated, feel as the end of life, finally develop other problems of stress and other related secondary disasters to their lives.

Conclusion

In Tanzania, to have clear understanding of the concept of disability and its effects to the individuals, families and the national wise, there should be a subject dealing with disability affairs. The subject should cover the whole system of national education. It should start from primary school to university level, and it should be compulsory to all levels in which it will be conducted.

Under the Same Sun wataka Katiba iwafanyie haya watu wenye ulemavu

MCHAKATO wa kuunda Katiba Mpya bado unaendelea na sasa upo katika hatua ya uundwaji wa Mabaraza ya Katiba ya Wilaya yatakayokuwa na jukumu la kuipitia Rasimu ya Katiba. Kazi hiyo inatarajiwa kuanza Juni mwaka huu.

Pamoja na kuanza kwa mchakato huo wa uundwaji wa mabaraza ya katiba, wananchi wanaendelea kutoa mapendekezo yao yenye lengo la kuboresha mchakato huo wa upatikanaji katiba mpya.

Shirika linalojishughulisha na utetezi wa watu wenye ulemavu la Under The Same Sun ni miongoni mwa wadau wa katiba waliotoa maoni kuhusu mchakato huo ambapo kwa upande wake linasema “lingependa kuona Katiba Mpya inaheshimu, kuzitambua na kulinda haki za Walemavu”.

Meneja Uendeshaji wa Shirika hilo Gamariel Mboya na Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wake Vicky Ntetema wanasema kwa nyakati tofauti kuwa Shirika hilo limejikita katika kutetea watu wenye ulemavu wa ngozi nchini kwa kupitia programu kuu mbili ambazo ni elimu na uhamasishaji.

Kwa kuzingatia majukumu na malengo ya Shirika lao, wanaona vyema Katiba Mpya ikaboresha haki za kibinadamu za watu wenye ulemavu wa ngozi na hali za watu wenye ulemavu mbalimbali nchini.

Usawa na haki za Walemavu
Under The Same Sun inataka Katiba Mpya kutambua na kuweka mkazo juu ya haki na usawa kwa watu wenye ulemavu kwa kutambua mahitaji yao maalumu.

“Watu wenye ulemavu wa ngozi wanahitaji visaidizi katika elimu, visaidizi hivyo ni vikuza maandishi, vitabu vyenye maandishi makubwa (siyo chini ya font 14), nyongeza ya muda katika mitihani iliyochapwa kwa mujibu wa mahitaji yao, kutambuliwa kwa changamoto zao za uoni hafifu pamoja na matatizo ya ngozi,” anafafanua Gamariel Mboya.

Mboya anapendekeza Katiba ijayo ihakikishe kuwa Walemavu wa ngozi wanapatiwa tiba sahihi na huduma ya utambuzi wa viashiria vya saratani ya ngozi na kutibiwa katika hatua za awali.

“Pia ulinzi na usalama kwa watu wenye ulemavu wa ngozi ni suala linalochafua sura ya taifa kila uchao. Ili kuliondolea taifa sura hii na kuwafanya watu walemavu wa ngozi waishi kwa amani na utulivu, tunapendekeza mfumo wa nyumba kumi uwe wa kiserikali,” anasema na kuendelea;

“Shughuli za upigaji ramli, kuagua, kutambua wachawi, kuroga wengine, kupandisha cheo, kutajirisha watu, mafanikio katika biashara, kushinda uchaguzi, mitihani na kutumia viungo vya binadamu vipigwe marufuku kikatiba,”anasisitiza Mboya.

Wasiyoona na walemavu wa viungo

Watu wenye ulemavu wa kutoona na wale wenye ulemavu wa viungo, wanapaswa kutambuliwa kikatiba kwa kupatiwa mahitaji yao muhimu.

Mahitaji ya wasiyoona yameelezwa kuwa ni urasimishwaji wa maandishi ya nukta nundu (brail) kwenye vitabu, magazeti, mitihani na maeneo mengine ya kitaaluma na masuala ya habari.

Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Under The Same Sun Vicky Ntetema anasema Katiba inapaswa kuwajali walemavu wa viungo kwa kuhakikisha kuwa majengo katika sekta zote yanakuwa na miundombinu ambayo itawasaidia walemavu hao kufika kwa urahisi.

“Katiba Mpya inatakiwa kutambua mahitaji yote maalumu katika elimu kwa watu wenye ulemavu katika makundi yao mahususi; Wizara ya Elimu iandae mitaala ya elimu itakayotoa uelewa juu masuala ya ulemavu katika ngazi zote za elimu; ulemavu liwe somo la kujumuishwa kwenye mtaala wa kitaifa na lifundishwe kuanzia elimu ya msingi,” anaeleza Ntetema.

                Mtoto mlemavu wa viungo

Uwakilishi katika maamuzi
Ntetema anazungumzia pia uwakilishi wa Watu wenye ulemavu katika ngazi mbali mbali za kimaamuzi, akisema hawana uwakilishi kisheria katika ngazi ya kijiji hadi Bungeni.

Kutokana na hali hiyo, Shirika la Under The Same Sun wanapendekeza Katiba ijayo itoe fursa maalumu ya kuwapatia uwakilishi Watu wenye ulemavu kufuatana na makundi yao.

Wanasema siyo rahisi kwa mtu asiyeoona kueleza mahitaji ya kiziwi au kiziwi kutambua mahitaji ya walemavu wa ngozi, hivyo wanataka Tume ya Uchaguzi ya Taifa iangalie namna bora ya upatikanaji wa wawakilishi wao bila kupitia Vyama vya Siasa.

Kauli ya Chavita

Mawasiliano na kiziwi-kipofu

Wakati Under the Same Sun ikitoa kauli hiyo, Chama cha Viziwi Tanzania (CHAVITA) Wilaya ya Ilala kimetaka kuonana na Rais Jakaya Kikwete ili waweze kumweleza matatizo yao ambayo kwa muda mrefu yameshindwa kupatiwa ufumbuzi katika Katiba iliyopo.

Viongozi wa chama hicho walieleza nia yao hiyo walipofika ofisi za gazeti hili, ambako pamoja na mambo mengine, walifafanua namna katiba isivyowajali.

“Tumekuja na haya mabango moja likiwa na Picha ya Rais Kikwete na jingine lenye rangi na nembo ya Chama  Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) lakini pia yana lugha ya alama ili yawekwe kwenye Ofisi ya Rais na Ofisi za CCM kwa ajili ya kuwakumbusha wajibu wao kwetu sisi watu wenye ulemavu wa kusikia na watu wenye ulemavu wa aina mbali mbali,” Katibu wa chama hicho Gervas Komba.

Chavita pamoja na mambo mengine, wanataka Watu wenye ulemavu kuhamishwa kutoka Wizara ya Afya na Ustawi wa Jamii na kuwa chini ya Ofisi ya Rais.

Wanasema kwa muda mrefu Wizara hiyo imeshindwa kukidhi mahitaji yao hivyo wanataka wawe karibu na Rais ili wamfikishie matatizo yao moja kwa moja.

Kuhusu matumizi ya lugha ya alama, Komba anasema Serikali ihakikishe kuwa lugha ya alama inajulikana na wananchi wote ili kurahisisha mawasiliano kati yao na watu wasio na ulemavu.

Kwa mujibu wa Komba, watu wenye ulemavu wa kusikia wamekuwa wakitengwa na jamii ikiwa ni pamoja na kukosa ajira  na huduma zingine kutokana na ugumu wa mawasiliano kati yao na jamii.

“Serikali ihakikishe kuwa lugha ya alama inatumiwa na jamii nzima kama ilivyo kwa lugha nyingine. Waajiri wengi wanakataa kutuajiri kutokana na ugumu wa mawasiliano kati yao na sisi, lakini pia tunashida ya kupata huduma za jamii kwa urahisi kwa sababu hiyo hiyo,”anasema Komba.

Anaeleza kuwa kufuatana na Mkataba wa Umoja wa Mataifa (UN) wa mwaka 2010 unaozitaka nchi wanachama kuuridhia katika kutoa ajira kwa walemavu, Bunge la Tanzania bado halijafanya vya kutosha katika kuhakikisha sheria hiyo ya Kimataifa inatumika ipasavyo hapa nchini ili kutoa fursa sawa ya ajira kati ya walemavu na watu wasio na ulemavu.

Source: 

http://www.mwananchi.co.tz/Katiba/-/1625946/1747930/-/item/2/-/145gel1/-/index.html