The Sunday News
Varaidzo Chidzuu
KING Solomon taught: “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all.” In short, anyone can do something meaningful with their own lives if only they are given the opportunity to prove themselves in spite of any hardships.
Disability does not mean inability is not a mere saying but a call to action that reminds us that we should never judge a book by its cover. In a planet where six-seven percent of the population is disabled, the most vital ingredients of love are neither pity nor handfuls of handouts but respect; encouragement and support. One of the greatest gifts a parent can offer to a disabled child besides affection; security and financial support is self-reliance. What better instrument is there than that of a higher education?
A 2013 survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare titled Living Conditions Among Persons with Disability revealed that about 900 000 people, that is, 7 percent of the population are living with a disability in Zimbabwe. Most of these people come from either a low income or poverty-stricken families. It is reported that most hearing impaired people never set foot through the gates of a secondary school and are subject to abuse by close relatives.
The observations that were made by the survey not only illustrate the indigence associated with the disabled but to a larger extent show the effects of the lack of a higher education. To a student with a disability; college education is highly important as it helps in fulfilling personal goals, allows for effective competition in the job market and contributes to independence and financial security. College graduates with a disability experience greater job satisfaction and remain in their positions longer.
Mere observation has shown that there are fewer students with disabilities at colleges and universities compared to primary and secondary levels due to a lack of moral support. At Bulawayo Polytechnic I have encountered students who are partially deaf, visually impaired, physically impaired, amputees, polio victims and paraplegics. I usually run into them at the library surfing the internet as well as borrowing books and loitering around the grounds on sports day. A noticeable number are at the Commerce division studying administrative courses and at the Applied Art division. The rest are like shadows under the shade of a tall building; only the college gates have witnessed how many times they have been through them.
They are scattered across various divisions that accentuate hands-on disciplines such as hairdressing, carpentry, professional cookery, panel beating and spray painting but strange enough they are hardly noticed. Even at the many vocational centres in townships awash with young hearing impaired women studying dress making and interior design; they remain invisible.
Studies have shown that the attitude towards disabled students becomes more positive at higher institutions of learning. Able bodied students in education and social sciences were found to be more receptive of their disabled peers than students in engineering and business studies. In reality; non-disabled students are casual acquaintances of students with disabilities as they feel uncomfortable around them and will avoid them if there is a socially acceptable reason for doing so. For relatively distant and transient conditions attitudes are generally favourable but for closer more permanent and intimate situations, feelings become increasingly more negative. Able bodied students also believe that their physically challenged peers are very different from themselves in virtually all domains of interpersonal life.
For instance non-disabled students think that physical disability has adverse consequences for self esteem; independence and social relationships. Able bodied students are seen as dominate, extraverted, calculating, talkative and sociable whilst disabled students are seen as being the opposite; that is; submissive, introverted, unassuming, helpless and dependant. Another misconception by able bodied students is that male students with a disability are less masculine the same way their female counterparts are thought to be less feminine thus they are more socially anxious and less likely to be dating.
Besides the frosty attitudes physically challenged students have to take from their non-disabled peers, there is the hurdle of hostile infrastructure and non-accommodating curricula in academics and sports. Many departments lack wheelchair ramps especially engineering lecture rooms and sporting equipment suits only the requirements of able bodied students. Yet there are many sporting disciplines that the physically disabled can embark on such as wheelchair racing and basketball; chess, table tennis, chess and netball amongst many other that are perceived to be only for able bodied students.
We as a country need more disabled persons to take up their appropriate positions in society and this can only be done when awareness about disability is raised. Special scholarships should be established so that more of these forgotten students get the chance to participate in building the economy of Zimbabwe. Jobs such as teaching in special needs schools and counselling deaf people could be preserved for people with first-hand experience, that is, people living with the same disabilities as their clientele. I am also in the opinion that there should be more disabled legislators so as to address and rectify issues concerning the physically challenged.
Disabled students are not only capacitated in social sciences, business studies and education as society would make them out to be as a large number have massive intellectual ability to chase after courses in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). When I was a first year student at college; there was a young man in my class who was partially deaf and had to wear a hearing aid for assistance. Although he was a bit sluggish in grasping concepts he was very determined and never gave up easily. Many disabled students who fail to make it into industry because of discrimination end up taking jobs way below their qualifications so as to make a living. Some who have slight physical challenges that can be hidden avoid mentioning them when filling in job application forms so as to enhance their chances of getting employment.
The wise have concluded that the sky is the limit but when one pushes himself the extra mile, he can reach the stars which are way beyond anyone’s reach. Such is the glowing example of Tafadzwa Matope; Bulawayo Polytechnic college 2015 SRC president and a former student who was pursuing a Higher National Diploma in Office Management at the Commerce division. A gentle giant and a person tremendously propelled by courage; he never let visual impairment stop him from aiming higher. Most critics thought he would not win but the electorate proved the haters wrong as he rose to power not only to represent a board that consists of a majority of able bodied students but to also show the disabled minority that great faith can definitely move the mountains of life.
Birth is in essence the most beautiful mystery of life as what was hidden finally comes out to meet the light of day. In a split second joy overshadows all the pains and worries endured in the course of pregnancy as chapter two begins.
Life presents us with equal odds in spite of the poor cards that might be in one’s hand, the aim: to play a winning game. Although an evil twist exists in the stories of disabled students; most of them have overcome the limits set for them by the environment and society by going to college. Thus they do not deserve our pity; instead we should shower them with honour as they are heroes among us. True indeed are the wise words of Saadi al Shiraz: “If a gem falls in mud it is still valuable, if dust ascends to heaven it remains valueless.” As we celebrate Africa Day this week, let us remember to prioritise the education needs of the disabled, as they form a vital cog of this beautiful continent.
