AT least 80% of people with disabilities (PWDs) cannot access Gweru City Council buildings because the structures are not disability friendly, a new report has shown.
According to a city of Gweru 2024 annual business plan, there is a need to ensure PWDs have access to council offices in residential areas.
“In terms of accessibility of council buildings and infrastructure 80% of the disabled cannot access council buildings,” the report read.
“Other suburbs do not have council offices closer to them (PWDs) in order to pay bills and get other services.”
PWDs have expressed concern over lack of disability friendly structures at the local authority.
Elevators at town house ceased to function decades ago, a situation that has seen PWDs failing to access offices above the ground floor.
This year council, however, managed to establish a disability desk in the main revenue hall where PWDs can access some of the services.
In an interview, senator for PWDs Annah Shiri said it should be a prerequisite for organisations to ensure that buildings have disability friendly facilities.
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“As the disability community we expect that at every infrastructure there are disability friendly facilities,” she said.
Government has since established a disability policy framework to ensure that the concerns of PWDs are addressed in all sectors of the economy.
