Assessment of the adequacy of advocacy as a strategy for championing the citizenry of persons with disabilities in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This Different civic movements and advocacy groups the world over have committed much effort to championing the rights of persons with disabilities within the equality of rights and opportunities complex. These advocacy efforts have more often been targeted at rights to equal access and opportunities in social services and employment by persons with disabilities. It appears from literature that advocacy has not done enough in demanding those fundamental rights and freedoms which are central to the citizenship of persons with disabilities. As compared to their peers, persons with disabilities have limited, or to say the least, constrained citizenship rights. For a very long time, advocacy has been seen as a powerful strategy for championing the rights of persons with disabilities. This paper provides a critical analysis of the adequacy of the various advocacy initiatives to establish the extent to which the initiatives have addressed the citizenry issues affecting persons with disabilities. The author argues that citizenship rights form the basis for the equal opportunity complex inherent in the different types of advocacy. Thus, without addressing the issue of citizenry of persons with disabilities, the different types of advocacy cannot be endorsed as the panacea to the equal rights and opportunity problems facing people with disabilities in communities. From these arguments, the paper concludes that what has compromised the adequacy of advocacy for the citizenry of persons with disabilities is that the strategy has been patronized by non-disabled people. The author therefore recommends a multiple-advocacy approach coupled with practical policies, a genuine political will and strong political representation as the best way forward.