People with disabilities dependent on grants
76.2% of people with disabilities in the country are heavily dependant on grants. This was revealed by Namibia Statistics Agency, (NSA), earlier this week when they released their 2011 Disability report which details an in-depth analysis of persons with disabilities.
The disability report cites that the number of persons with disability’s have increased significantly and are mostly economically inactive.
Speaking at the press conference, senior statistician, Ms. Alina Nampula shared that the estimated number of persons with disabilities have increased from 42, 932 in 1991 to 98, 413 in the year 2011.
A socio-economic analysis in the census report revealed that the highest proportion of persons with disabilities without any formal education are blind and visually impaired.
The statistical analysis on economic activity focuses on total population 15 years and older. Disability grants, agriculture and fisheries are noted to be the main sources of income, whilst armed forces is rated the least source of employment or income.
Giving her speech, Hon. Minister Alexia !Manombe-Ncube, Deputy Minister of Disability Affairs said, “sanitation is one of the critical aspects of public health and well-being, especially for person’s with disabilities. It helps create physical environments that enhance safety, dignity and confidence as these are important to person’s with disabilities who are often at risk of being neglected in society”.
The statement came in light of the disability report results, which show that 62.4% of households of persons with disabilities have no toilets. This situation is more prevalent in rural areas with 78.9 % compare urban areas with 25.6 %.
Manombe-Ncube appealed to the NSA to be careful of terminology with regard to person’s with disabilities, as the use of language such as Deaf or Dumb can be deemed inappropriate.
She also asked the NSA that in future to carry on-going studies with regard to person’s with disabilities and not necessarily having to rely on census date.
Alex Shimuafeni, statistician general at NSA explained that the delay in publishing the 2011 disability report, which was conducted 5 years ago was mainly because the 2011 Census questionnaire had more than 40 questionnaires that needed to be posed to 2 million individuals which gave some 80 million data sets.
