PERSONS with disabilities have sued government for failing to use accessible formats in disseminating information concerning the coronavirus (Covid-19).

In an urgent chamber application filed in the High Court by Centre for Disability and Development, Deaf Zimbabwe Trust and Zimbabwe National League of The Blind, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa, Health minister Obadiah Moyo and Public Service minister Paul Mavima were cited as respondents.

They want ZBC ordered to immediately provide sign language or captions on all its content on ZTV pertaining to coronavirus during and after the lockdown for the benefit of the deaf and hard-of-hearing people in Zimbabwe.

The advocacy groups want Mutsvangwa and Mavima ordered to immediately distribute Braille pamphlets, audio versions, large text, and readable digital text to visually-impaired persons throughout Zimbabwe.

They also seek to have Mutsvangwa ordered to immediately issue a statement urging private entities, including mass media and hospitals to ensure that any services they provide to the public relating to Covid-19 (including information, testing, treatment etc) are accessible to persons with disabilities.

Masimba Kuchera, executive director and trustee at Centre for Disability and Development said they had written to ZBH since 2016 seeking redress on the implementation of sign language in its television programmes.

The court heard on April 3 Deaf Zimbabwe Trust sought legal assistance from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and a letter was written and served to the national broadcaster and Mutsvangwa to provide alternative accessible formats of information.

However, Kuchera claims that since then there has not been a consistent implementation of sign language to cater for the interests of deaf and hard-of hearing persons.

Kuchera noted with concern how Mnangagwa’s announcement of the national lockdown, Mutsvangwa and (Obadiah) Moyo’s updates and inter-ministerial task force’s updates and other programming related to Covid-19 failed to accommodate their needs.

“These are critical updates and information which are not necessarily covered in full or at all in prime-time news meaning that our members are kept in the dark,” Kuchera said.

“What has prompted this application is a series of events that have posed a grave danger to all persons with disabilities given the information gap they are experiencing.

“The platforms being used to communicate information are not accessible to persons with disability.

“Statements from the ministry of Health have typically been circulated as a scanned image which is not readable for blind persons.-Daily News