MBABANE, ESWATINI — The University of Eswatini moved early this month to increase access for students with disabilities through the establishment of a Disability Support Resource Centre.
With specialized technology to aid students with special needs, the center is aimed at expanding access to education for students with disabilities. Its technology includes printers to convert text to braille, software that converts text to speech, and talking book machines that can read digital or Braille books aloud. Other technology includes voice recognition software to help students with physical disabilities operate computers with voice commands.
Senator Stukie Motsa, who has albinism, lauded the center in an interview with VOA.
"This center will help people with disabilities to realize their goals and their dreams in education," she said. "And if they are educated, it will open avenues for them to perform in their educational career and compete with others in their professions. It will also open doors to employment, and once they are employed, when they are employed, poverty in Eswatini will be eradicated because they will be able to feed their families and take care of themselves."
Those with disabilities face significant educational barriers in Eswatini, starting in early childhood. School attendance among children with disabilities is much lower than that of those without disabilities. Children with disabilities are often placed in mainstream schools but face a shortage of teachers trained in special education.
Sibusiso Khanya, the acting senior inspector for special needs at the Education Ministry, said the ministry is working to address these problems through promotion of inclusion and regular training for teachers, but admitted progress has been slow because of limited resources.
"We still have a challenge with that because we have a long list of learners who need assistive devices and sometimes due to financial constraints, we find it difficult or maybe we can't reach out to all of them," Khanya said
Those with disabilities make up 13% of the Swazi population, and unemployment among this group is 85%, while 51% have no formal qualifications, such as high school diplomas or university degrees. To help resolve the situation, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recently held a National Job and Entrepreneurial Expo for Persons with Disabilities.
Fikile Shongwe, the office's disability manager, underscored the importance of the event in promoting diversity in hiring and trade practices.
"We are hopeful that in the near future, an employment equity law will be enacted, requiring every company to maintain a certain percentage of employees with disabilities on their payroll," Shongwe said. "Our efforts are not in isolation; we are working in collaboration with the U.N., NGOs, and organizations of persons with disabilities to achieve this goal."
Bongani Makama, the president of the Federation Organization of the Disabled People in Swaziland, acknowledged Eswatini's steps to promote inclusion, but said more must be done.
"We are facing many challenges as persons with disabilities in the country," Makama said. "Most of the challenges are communication barriers, more especially for the hard hearing and hard speech impairments. We are also facing challenges of accessibility in the country, which deprives many persons with disabilities, including accessing information and infrastructures that is in the country and also transport. It is a hard thing for persons with disabilities to access."
Despite progress in promoting disability rights, Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla emphasizes the need for structural changes aimed at a more equitable and inclusive society, saying, "Our duty is to assist vulnerable groups as part of our commitment to disability mainstreaming and inclusion."
