Updates from Sightsavers Zambia

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Sightsavers in partnership with Zambia Federation for the Employers launched the Zambia Business and Disability Network (ZBDN), on 17 May 2024 at the Intercontinental Hotel. Twenty-five employer organisations attended the launch event. ZBDN is an employer led network working with organizations for persons with disabilities (OPDs) to contribute to the wider Sightsavers Economic Empowerment/Inclusive Future program. Its goal is to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities, particularly women and people from underrepresented backgrounds, in the development of local, national and global economies in an equitable and sustainable way. The program is working directly with (OPDs) and prospective employers to establish ways to include people with disabilities in the workplace and labour market and provide equal access to finance interventions.

In partnership with Zambia Federation for the Employers and Zambia Federation for Persons with Disabilities (ZAFOD), Sightsavers Zambia recently conducted a disability training for Lusaka based employers. This training was designed to help employers identify ways in which they can take disability into account in their workplaces and promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace. Employers gained knowledge on disability rights and how mainstreaming them can improve the employability of persons with disabilities in various industrial sectors. The three-day training also allowed the development of disability workplaces policies.

To enhance and improve disability inclusion, Zambia Federation of Employers, with support from Sightsavers Zambia conducted Accessibility Audits on six organizations. Those audited included Kansanshi Mine Community Centre, Solwezi Trades Training Institute, INDENI Energy Company Ltd, Metal Fabrications of Zambia Plc., Copperbelt University and Northern Technical College. By conducting these audits, individuals and organizations can gain insights into what areas need improving, ensuring that their workplaces are inclusive.