Policy paper

Namibia Disability affairs in the Presidency

Published 23 July 2018

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

Form for submitting commitments for the Global Disability Summit 2018

IMPORTANT: Please refer to the accompanying guidance note for advice on completing this form and please fill in all four sections in English.

Your organisation:

Type of organisation: National Government

If other: Click or tap here to enter text.

Name of organisation Disability affairs in the Presidency

Charter for Change

Please read the attached Summit Charter for Change: the principal legacy of the Summit. If your organisation is happy to sign up to the Charter, please confirm by putting a cross in the box below.

My organisation signs up to the Summit Charter for Change ☒

Your organisation’s commitments to achieve the rights of people with disabilities in developing countries:

Commitments to eliminate Stigma and Discrimination

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Representation and empowerment of persons with disabilities

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who has supported its development (75 words limit):

The Constitution of the Republic of Namibia guarantees equality before the law for all Namibian citizens and entrenches fundamental rights and freedoms in Chapter three of the Namibian Constitution. Namibia commits to Policy, legislation and its implementation by working towards the enactment of new and amendment of existing legislation in particular the enactment of a Disability Act and the amendment of the National Disability Council Act 26 of 2004 by 2019.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

The Government of the Republic of Namibia will educate and inform people with disabilities and broader society on the rights of people with disabilities so as to wipe out the myths that is fuelled by superstition and discrimination and also the misunderstanding that is associated with medical condition as opposed to human rights. We will committee ourselves to continue lobbying for self-representation at all levels of governance.

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Commitments for Inclusive Education

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Inclusive education sector plans (governments only)

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

Namibia has a Sector Policy on inclusive Education of 2013 and commits to redouble efforts under Capacity Building for teachers and staff to introduce, deliver and sustain inclusive education practice on an ongoing basis and further strengthen environmental accessibility and access to ICT for learners with disabilities. We commit ourselves to improve service delivery to the deaf community, in public health facilities, magistrate courts and in institutions of high learning. Establish disability courses for Namibia sign language and disability counselling at Namibia University of Science and technology (NUST).

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

The courses will commence by 2019

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Commitments for Economic Empowerment:

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Amending legal frameworks

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

Namibia enacted the National Disability Act No 26 of 2004, the act makes provisions for the establishment of the National Disability Council whose main function would be to monitor the implementation of the National Disability Policy by Government Office/Ministries/Agencies (OMAs) however, currently there are numerous loopholes within the Act.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Government is committing itself in consultations with disability fraternity to amend the Act by 2019 in April.

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Commitments for Technology and Innovation

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Join Global Partnership for Assistive Technology

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

Namibia commits to strengthen programmes and services by improving the availability and access to assistive devices as per provision of the National Policy on Disability of 1997 by 201. To this end, Namibia is committing itself in partnership with Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled (SAFOD) an initiative that aimed at facilitating improvement in the assistive technology to raise awareness on the need for better assistive technology solutions and products.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

By 2019 Namibia will host the assistive technology expo in partnership with SAFOD. The expo seeks to bring together a wide range of practical problem solvers of assistive technology, supplies and service providers from Southern Africa.

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Commitments for Data Disaggregation

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Commit resources to support strengthened disability data

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

In order to gain a holistic overviews of the situation facing people with disabilities, in relations to their daily needs and predicaments that they are encountering, the government commit itself to conduct a baseline registration to collect data that will then inform the government on how to plan for budgetary provision.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit) 2018-2019

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Commitments for Women and Girls with Disabilities:

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

Namibia commits to enhance access of woman with disabilities to participate in developmental agenda and enforcement of rights for woman and girls with disabilities as guarantee by international, regional and national instruments on an annual basis. We will increase the scope of participation of woman with disabilities in all aspect of the country’s development and also ensure programs that are aimed at developing woman in general are accessible to woman with disabilities.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit) By 2020

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Commitments for people with disabilities in Humanitarian Contexts

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who has supported its development (75 words limit):

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Namibia commit to promote human welfare by improving people with disabilities lives. To this end, the government commit itself through the Harambee Prosperity Plan (2019-2020), this plan ushers Namibia in to the era of prosperity for all, where we will strive toward building a Namibia where there are no structural poverty traps, a prosperous Namibia where people with disabilities will have a decent shelter, access to basic amenity such as safe portable water, access to quality schooling and adequate health services. “We would like to have a society where no one feels left out” (Dr. Hage G Geingob-President of the Republic of Namibia)

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Other Commitments

Please enter the exact wording of any other commitment/s that do not fall under the themes above, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

Namibia government through the Office of disability Affairs commit to work hard in aligning its programs to the implementation of the CRPD.

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