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{
    "id": 1273319,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1273319/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 536,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ms. Florence Bore",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Speaker, I hope when this comes to the Floor of the House, Members will help us pass this Bill to support the accessibility of persons with disabilities. Part two of the Questions is; explain why the Government has only employed 1.4 per cent of PWDs against the legal requirement of 5 per cent. The response is that, access to work promotes dignity and provides opportunities for people to earn a livelihood, and participate in national development. Article 54(2) of the Constitution mandates the State to ensure progressive implementation of the principle, that at least 5 per cent of the members of the public in elective and appointive bodies are persons with disabilities. Additionally, Sections 12 and 15 of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2003, outlaws any form of discrimination in employment on the basis of disability. Despite the provisions of the law in support of employment of persons with disabilities, access to employment for persons with disabilities has been challenging. These challenges result from the following issues: 1. Stigma and discrimination of persons with disabilities in the wider society negatively impact the employment of persons with disabilities. 2. Widespread negative attitudes towards the employment of persons with disabilities. A majority of employers are not ready to engage persons with disabilities because they do not want to pay the cost of adjustments. 3. Accessible work environment for persons with disabilities put off employees with disabilities. For instance, the absence of adaptive technology, disability- friendly services like sign language interpretation services for the deaf and guides for the blind within the workplace, and lifts for persons with mobility challenges can deter employment of persons with disabilities. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}