In an effort to reduce accessibility barriers, the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities Agency (ZAPD) has intensified its inspections across public infrastructure.
The Persons with Disabilities Act No. 6 of 2012 stipulates that the owner or occupier of a place to which the public has access to, shall provide appropriate facilities that make the place accessible, to and available for use, by persons with disabilities in a prescribed manner, failure to which is punishable by law.
It is this piece of legislation that ZAPD draws its mandate to inspect any institution to ensure that the provisions of this Act are complied with.
For this reason, ZAPD Accessibility Inspectors go around public and private institutions sensitizing and conducting accessibility audits to ascertain compliance and issue adjustment orders through the Office of the Director General after a given notice where necessary.
Other than that, the Agency is in constant engagements with relevant ministries to ensure that barriers are avoided at design stage.
In pictures; ZAPD Inspectors at Chainama Hills College Hospital carrying out accessibility inspections and audits._
#livingnoonebehind