Signs of Hope Trust, Zimbabwe joins the world in commemorating the International Day for Universal Access to Information 2023. Congratulations to MISA Zimbabwe on the launch of the Transparency Report. Signs of Hope has proudly participated in the report 3 times so far and we acknowledge the leadership MISA provides on strengthening CBOs like us in promoting the right to access to information by people with disabilities. As I speak to you today, two of our staff members are attending the Forum on Internet Freedom 2023 in Tanzania and we can proudly thank MISA for their input in building our capacity to advocate for accessible information.
Access to Information is a fundamental human right enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 21 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), among other things, encourages state parties to ensure that persons with disabilities (PWDs) exercise their right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas on an equal basis with others and in a form of communication of their choice.
We commend the government of Zimbabwe for its commitment to upholding the right to access information (Sections 61 and 62 of the Zimbabwean constitution) by enacting the Freedom of Information Act (2020) which empowers citizens to seek any information from government entities.
Through the Access to Information Campaign we have been a part of, we have requested information from from public institutions both before and after the enactment of the FOIA. Sadly we have not been as successful in accessing information with the new act in place.
- Some government institutions we have approached do not have Information Officers yet.
- Most institutions we have approached have never seen the information request form before – in an incident, we were called by the JSC to come and explain what we need.
Our proud moments have been working with the Parliament of Zimbabwe who have won the most open institution in Zimbabwe twice so far. We have completed the translation of the national budget in accessible formats which are braille, sign language and enlarged print. In the spirit of accessible information we hope many more institutions will work with organizations for people with disabilities in enhancing access to information.
This year, we join stakeholders in reflecting on the importance of the online space for Access to Information and continue to advocate for stakeholder actions that will improve access to the internet for persons with disabilities.
The high cost of data, lack of tools and technology that supports participation in digital spaces, inaccessible websites, and the underdevelopment of internet infrastructure in the rural areas where 73% of the population of persons with disabilities in Zimbabwe is based, are among the myriad of challenges that prevent persons with disabilities from accessing the internet on an equal basis with others.
On this day, we challenge the government of Zimbabwe to commit to bridging the digital divide, by among other things, using the Universal Services Fund to improve access to ICTs by persons with disabilities and strengthening legislation to ensure web accessibility.
Happy #IDUAI2023.