Disability Rights Watch - DRW

30/09/2026

Media Alert
Laka fm 103.3
Topic:Disability and the Grow Zambia Agenda.
Time 09:00

25/09/2026

A monitoring visit was conducted by the Norwegian Association for the Disabled (NAD) and Disability Rights Watch (DRW), during which the team interacted with a parent of a child with a disability. The following is her account:

"My name is Annie Banda, and I am the parent of a child with Down syndrome supported by the CADiR project, implemented by ZAPCD and DRW in Chadiza District.
​Before the project came to Chanjowe Primary School, the teachers denied my child admission because of their disability. That changed after ZAPCD and DRW trained our Parent Support Group on disability rights, inclusive education, and child safeguarding, giving us a platform to share our children's educational challenges. The project then provided similar training to the teachers.
​The situation has improved dramatically. Teachers now apply inclusive teaching practices, and parents are no longer hiding their children with disabilities at home. Through the project's livelihood initiatives, I was also encouraged to join a savings group and start my own business.
​Today, our community and the school work hand-in-hand. To improve physical accessibility, we are collaborating to construct a ramp: parents are contributing local materials like sand and bricks, while the school is providing the cement."

25/09/2026

Day 2 of the Disability Inclusion Training in Chadiza-CADiR

Day 2 focused on practical ways of building more inclusive communities. Participants explored barriers to inclusion, meaningful participation and inclusive decision-making, accessibility and reasonable accommodation, and how to apply disability inclusion within existing community structures.

The sessions also looked at referral mechanisms and how community stakeholders can better connect persons with disabilities to relevant services and support.

The discussions were practical and participatory, with participants sharing experiences from their communities and identifying actions they can take to promote the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in community planning and decision-making.

24/09/2026

23/09/2026 was a beautiful and meaningful day in Chipata as we joined the deaf community at Magweru School for the Deaf to commemorate the International Day of Sign Languages under the theme “Declaring Deaf Peoples’ Human Rights.”

Through the Collective Action for Disability Rights (CADiR) project, Disability Rights Watch was happy to support this important occasion and be part of a day that brought people together to celebrate sign language and raise awareness about the rights of deaf people.

We were also glad to have the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) represented by madam Chisomo , who spoke about the importance of inclusion and making sure persons with disabilities are able to participate fully in their communities and have equal opportunities.

The Guest of Honour, who was represented, also shared a very thoughtful speech on some of the steps government has taken to support persons with disabilities and reaffirmed the commitment to continue supporting the deaf community.

One of the highlights of the day was seeing the learners take the lead. From traditional dances and cultural performances to poems, choral music and other performances, the learners brought so much energy and joy to the celebration. Their confidence and talent made the day even more special.

Days like this remind us that inclusion is not just about talking about rights. It is about creating spaces where people can communicate, participate, express themselves and feel that they belong.

Everyone deserves to be heard. Everyone deserves to be included. And deaf people’s human rights matter.

23/09/2026

This week in Chipata, Disability Rights Watch, through the Collective Action for Disability Rights (CADiR) project, brought together OPDs, civil society organisations, human rights institutions, disability advocates and community monitors for a two-day training on engaging with disability rights mechanisms at global, regional and national levels.

The training gave participants a chance to learn and share practical experiences on the CRPD, SDGs, disability rights monitoring, evidence collection and reporting. We also looked at how community-level experiences can be documented and used to engage duty bearers and strengthen accountability.

A big part of the training was hands-on. Participants worked in groups to identify issues affecting persons with disabilities, develop monitoring indicators, collect evidence and come up with recommendations that can be taken forward.

The goal is simple: to strengthen the ability of communities and OPDs to document what is happening on the ground, speak up about barriers and contribute meaningful evidence to disability rights monitoring and advocacy.

23/09/2026

SIGN LANGUANGES DAY
We join the deaf community in commemorating international sign languages day, a day observed within the deaf awareness week. We reflect on the importance of celebrating deaf culture and the linguistic identity of persons with hearing impairments. We continue to advocate for the designation of Zambian Sign Language as official national language. Within the context of our Gender Equality Disability and Social Inclusion Strategy, we will continue to fight communication and other barriers that hinder deaf persons from meaningfully participating in all development efforts.

18/09/2026

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16/09/2026

[Picture Description] Disability Rights Watch awareness campaign promoting the rights, dignity and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Zambia. It features a smiling Zambian man using a wheelchair alongside the DRW logo and the main message, “Respect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.” The poster highlights five key principles—equal rights, inclusion, respect, accessibility and participation—and calls on society to remove barriers, treat everyone with dignity, and ensure persons with disabilities are heard and included. The message is reinforced by the slogan “Together for a More Inclusive Zambia” and the call to “Advocate, Include, Respect, Empower.”

15/09/2026

STRENGTHENING DISABILITY INCLUSION IN ZAMBIA’S PARLIAMENT
Disability Rights Watch (DRW), in collaboration with the National Assembly of Zambia, concluded a three-day capacity-building training for members of the Research Department from 9-11 September 2026 at Twangale Park. The training strengthened participants’ understanding of disability rights, substantive equality, inclusive communication, accessibility, reasonable accommodation and universal design, with a focus on ensuring that parliamentary research and support services are accessible and responsive to persons with disabilities.
A key outcome was the identification of environmental, attitudinal, institutional, communication and procedural barriers that may affect the participation of persons with disabilities in Parliament. Discussions highlighted issues such as accessibility of elevators and the Chamber, parking, toilets, ramps, information and digital resources, as well as the need for accessible documents, sign-language interpretation, personal assistance and appropriate reasonable accommodation. Participants also embraced the “disability mirror” approach—ensuring that every research assignment, policy issue, piece of legislation, parliamentary motion or debate considers its potential impact on persons with disabilities.
The closing session emphasised that disability inclusion should not be treated as an add-on, but as part of how Parliament works. Key follow-up priorities include finalising the departmental recommendations and action plan, integrating disability inclusion into the 2027–2031 National Assembly Strategic Plan, including disability-inclusion orientation for incoming Members of Parliament and new presiding officers, extending capacity building to other parliamentary departments, strengthening collaboration with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), and advancing discussions on a DRW–National Assembly partnership/MoU. The overall message was clear: meaningful representation must translate into meaningful participation, influence and accessible parliamentary processes—leaving no one behind.

The training was conducted under the Collective Action for Disability Rights supported by Norwegian Association of Disabled-NAD Zambia

09/09/2026