Brian

Brian is a journalist, radio presenter and the co-founder and secretary-general of the Alive Albinism Initiative.

He also serves as a board member for the Zimbabwe Youth Council. The council is responsible for the country’s youth programming and protecting the rights of young people.

“People with albinism face unique challenges. They are sometimes discriminated against, even by other persons with disabilities who think that albinism is not a disability, it is just a health condition. We face double discrimination. We are discriminated against by the rest of society, just like any other person with a disability, and then we are also discriminated against by other persons with disabilities.

“People do not understand the condition and what causes it, and this leads to discrimination. Some people assume that their mother cheated with a white person so that is why the child has albinism. Others assume that the child is cursed for something the parents have done. Therefore, many people do not want to associate with persons with albinism.

“For example, a myth that exists in Zimbabwe is that pregnant women are told that if they come in contact with someone with albinism then they will have a child with the same condition. So, imagine you have to use public transport, and someone pregnant gets on, they don’t want to sit next to you.

“Some employers do not have the patience to give the necessary support that persons with albinism need. Job opportunities are limited for persons with albinism because someone with albinism might take more time to use a computer or cell phone because their sight is limited. But on a positive note, in education, the government has made strides to provide examination materials and papers for persons with albinism. You can request them in large font and schools, colleges and universities all offer this.

“We are slowly seeing a shift in how the media portrays disability. One of the main drivers in Zimbabwe is that a lot of persons with disabilities are joining the media, in both public and private outlets. We have persons with disabilities occupying very high positions and this has helped shape the narrative.

“The African Disability Protocol has recently been ratified but is yet to be deposited. We must go back to these global and regional statutory instruments and treat all disabilities equally. It is also important that the government ‘walks the talk’.

“There is still work to be done in terms of the domestication of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the domestication of the African Disability Protocol, as well as a recent agreement that Southern African Development Community (SADC) took up on albinism. We want them to become part of our legislation so that persons with disabilities can enjoy their rights.

“It is important that the government goes the extra mile to ensure policies reach persons in the remotest parts of the country, so they are aware of the laws that protect them. We also need to see political parties embracing persons with disabilities so they can rise through the party.

“We want to see persons with disabilities sitting in cabinet and on decision-making bodies, so the issues of disability become a part of every conversation. If we do not represent ourselves, these issues might not come out, but if we are represented at different levels of the country’s governance structure, we will see more laws and policies becoming disability inclusive.”