Towards more accessible public infrastructure in Malawi

The Malawi Disabilities act(2012); states that "A person with disability is entitled to have access to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications, including information and communication technologies and systems, and other facilities and services available or provided to the public." Although this Law was passed and the relevant authorities created the standards to be followed to achieve this, very little effort has been done to ensure that existing buildings comply with these guidelines. In some instances facilities are provided just to satisfy the requirement of having them but do not follow the standards in the least making the spaces inaccessible to those with mobility issues and in some cases making it dangerous for people with issues to use.

Careful design and implementation of facilities that aid people with disabilities to use public spaces is important as it allows all to be included in the development of our society and no one is left behind. One of the places where this achieving this is of utmost importance is our schools. According to a study people faced these physical barriers when accessing WASH facilities in public spaces and in their communities;

1. Long distances to water points, toilets and bathrooms 

2. Standard pit may be difficult to use due to squatting problems. 

3. Uneven latrine ground for people using wheelchairs 

4. Individuals may have to touch bathroom/toilet surfaces with hands 

5. CLTS hand washing facility is problematic  

The situation was so dire that none of the school aged children was attending school. We believe that if we are going to be inclusive to all for the development of this country, we will need to critically look at these issues and provide the necessary facilities that allow all to have access to public spaces as well as be able to productively use them.

Towards Universal Access to Education

Primary school education is free and compulsory in Malawi, But according to the Malawi Housing and Population Census of 2018 only 3% of children with disabilities were attending school as opposed to 91% of their counterparts. One of the barriers that have an impact on this is the lack of accessible infrastructure.