UN DESA/DSPD Forum Disability and development – Disability Inclusion and Accessible Urban Development Nairobi, October 2015 Case studies Country: Zambia Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities Project/Programme title: Establishment of ZAPD Inspectorate Presenter: Sela Brotherton Acting Director General

Background Following the Signing and ratification of the UNCRPD and it’s domestication in Zambia; The need to have the provisions of the Act adhered to could not be over emphasized. The old Act of 1996 was repealed and replaced by PWD Act No.06 0f 2012 The Agency and DPOs began the process of ensuring that accessibility and provisions of the Act are realized in Zambia

Objectives To ensure that disability is mainstreamed in government ministries and spending agencies That participation of Persons with disabilities in the Electoral process is enhanced To Improve the road safety and transport system in Zambia towards persons with disabilities Improve Access to information by persons with disabilities in Zambia

INITIATIVE SELECTED AS GOOD PRACTICE Example:1: Creation of an Inspectorate

Example:2: Partnering with other Institutions Zambia Information Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Road Transport and Safety Agency Bank of Zambia

Thematic areas of good practice; As Zambia; we want to ensure that the capacity of ZAPD and other stake holders (DPOs) to ensure that accessibility is enhanced in the urban towns and other parts of the country is by mainstreaming disability and have Disability Focal Point Persons in all Government institutions and spending Agencies This consequently, result in development and disability inclusion in most government ministries

Disability Focal Point Persons The following ministries have and appointed; Chiefs and Traditional affairs Local government and housing lands Tourism Health Education Transport and communication Home affairs Foreign affairs Cabinet office Spending Agencies Anti Corruption Commission Drug enforcement Commission Electoral commission of Zambia

1. Creation of an Inspectorate As Zambia through the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities we have established the Inspectorate; The inspectorate is established by our National disability by article 57. The inspectors perform the following duties according law; Carry out inspections of institutions of any building to see that it complies with the provision of the Act Generate reports about their work Issuance of Adjustment Orders Fines have been stipulated for people who will obstruct or fail to comply with the adjustment orders as the law says such a one or institutions commits a crime

2. Partnering with other Institutions As Zambia; the Agency and the Zambia Information, Communication and Technology Authority (ZICTA) which is an ICT regulator in Zambia have partnered with the Agency (ZAPD) to ensure that the ICTs that are provided in the country are equally accessible and available in the formats that will be assed by ALL persons

Electoral Commission of Zambia in order to promote the participation of Persons with disabilities in the electoral system our engagement with the electoral body has so far yielded positive results in the following areas; it is expected that they will be Improvement in accessibility of polling stations (after a successive law suite by Zambia Federation of Disabled Persons Organization) Voter Education materials have been transcribed into Braille and sign language The electoral body is in the process of printing ballot papers with Braille features

Road Transport and Safety Agency(RTSA) The Agency sits on the Board of Directors for RTSA. The Act mandates all public service vehicles and operators to ensure that they are accessible for persons with disabilities Therefore, the agency through its sittings on the board and ZAPD inspectorate’s aim is to ensure that public vehicle services and roads are safe for Persons with disabilities

Bank of Zambia The central bank has equally made efforts after one of the DPOs in Zambia had a successfully engaged Bank of Zambia on ensuring that the bank notes are accessible and usable by all people. For the first time in the history of Zambia the central bank has printed bank notes with Tactile (Braille) features on them

Specific Locations ZAPD Inspectorate currently; will be situated at ZAPD Headquarters as department in Lusaka and in all the 10 Provincial Offices where we operate from.

Memorandum of understanding The Memorandum of understanding between Zambia Agency for Persons with disabilities will run for 3 years while the inspectorate will be part of the agency day to day activities Electoral Commission of Zambia, Bank of Zambia these are one off activities benefit all citizens

Beneficiaries of good practice Example: Access to Information These practices benefit the following people; ZAPD’s capacity to regulate and monitor Service of ICT in nature will be enhanced with it’s cooperation with ZICTA The Blind and the Deaf community will benefit with specific programming by ZICTA ECZ’s ballot papers with Braille features will benefit the ordinary citizen in the country that will register as a voter and literate in reading Braille Bank of Zambia notes with Braille features will benefit the ordinary citizen in the country for the visually impaired

Beneficiaries of good practice Example: Transportation Improvement in accessibility of the Road sector in terms of public service vehicles will benefit the ordinary citizen who will use the Public Service vehicles

Implementing Agency: ZAPD, ZICTA, RTSA, ECZ and BOZ Source of Funds: The Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ)

Changes Achieved BOZ has included Braille features on new Bank notes Good political will to ensure support to disability programmes from government ECZ has included ZAPD on its number of advisory committees The agency now sits on the Board of directors for the Road Transport and Safety Agency Approving of National Disability Policy

INACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Shortcomings and persistent challenges identified Development of terms of reference for the different Focal Point persons in the ministries and spending agencies Lack of a full fledged department of Inspectors In accessible public service vehicles to parsons with disabilities most urban development are not disability friendly in terms of access to physical infrastructure