Ulemavu

Alama ya jengo linalofaa kwa watu wanaotumia kiti cha magurudumu.

Ulemavu ni hali ya kuwa na hitilafu ya kudumu mwilini au akilini inayomzuia mtu kutekeleza shughuli zilizo kawaida katika maisha ya jamii. Unamwekea mtu mipaka asiweze kutekeleza shughuli fulani katika maisha yake, tofauti na watu wengine.

Hitilafu na ulemavu

Shirika la Afya Duniani (WHO) limeunda mfumo wa kupanga alama za ulemavu. Hapa kuna tofauti kati ya

• hitilafu (kwa Kiingereza impairment) kama kukosa uwezo wa kutumia kiungo cha mwili kama kawaida
• ulemavu (ing. disability) kama hitilafu inasababisha kukosa uwezo wa kutekeleza shughuli zinazotekelezwa na "watu wa kawaida".
• hasara au kikwazo (ing. handicap) inayoweza kupatikana kwa mtu mwenye ulemavu akishindwa kutekeleza shughuli katika jamii.

Kwa mfano, mtoto aliyeambukizwa ugonjwa wa kupooza (ing. cerebral palsy) anabaki na hitilafu ya viungo vya miguu: hawezi kuvikunja wala haiwezi kustahimili uzito wa mwili wake. Hitilafu hiyo inamzuia kutembea kwa njia ya kawaida. Kama hatibiwi, hitilafu inaweza kuongezeka kwa sababu misuli ya miguu inajikaza zaidi na zaidi.

Kukosa uwezo wa kutembea ni ulemavu. Lakini kiwango chake kinaweza kupunguzwa kwa tiba na vifaa vya pekee. Akijifunza kutembea kwa kutumia vyuma vilivyofungwa kando ya miguu, vizuizi vya kutekeleza shughuli vinapungua sana. Kutegemeana na mazingira anapoishi ataona hasara ndogo au kubwa zaidi akitafuta njia yake katika maisha.

Vilema, picha ya Pieter Bruegel Mzee, Uholanzi, mnamo 1568.

Ulemavu wa kimwili

Ulemavu wa kimwili unatokana na hitilafu yoyote inayoiwekea mipaka kazi ya kawaida ya viungo vya mwili kama vile mikono au miguu.

Ulemavu wa milango ya fahamu

Hapo ni hasa hitilafu zinazohusu uwezo wa kuona au kusikia. Kuna pia watu wenye hitilafu za kunusa au kuonja.

Ulemavu wa akili

Hitilafu mbalimbali katika ubongo na mfumo wa neva zinaweza kuonekana katika

• kuchelewa kwa watoto kuketi, kutambaa, kutembea au kusema
• matumizi ya lugha
• matatizo ya kukumbuka
• matatizo ya kujifunza kanuni za kijamii
• matatizo ya kutambua na kuelewa matatizo na kutafuta suluhisho
• uhaba wa uwezo wa kujitunza, kama kuvaa, kula na kukuta njia.

Ulemavu wa kiakili unatokea kwa viwango tofauti sana. Mara nyingi hautambuliki hadi mtoto anapoingia shule na huko anachelewa kujifunza. Hata hapo ni lazima kutofautisha kama tatizo ni ulemavu wa akili au ulemavu wa kujifunza tu. Wengine wanaishia kiwango cha elimu kinacholingana na uwezo wa mtoto wa wastani mwenye miaka 9-12 na wanaweza kujifunza kazi inayowawezesha kudumisha maisha yao wakiwa watu wazima.

Haki za watu wenye ulemavu

Mwaka 2006 Umoja wa Mataifa ulianzisha Mkataba wa kimataifa kuhusu haki za watu wenye ulemavu (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities = UNCRPD) kwa shabaha ya kulinda na kuboresha hali ya walemavu milioni 650 duniani.

Hadi mwaka 2015 mataifa 159 yaliutia sahihi mkataba huo na 154 kati ya hayo yaliidhinisha hatua hiyo. Mataifa yaliyokubali mkataba huo yamepokea wajibu wa kuhakikisha haki sawa za elimu, ajira, kumiliki mali na kuoa sawa na watu wote. Ni marufuku kuwatumia bila kibali kwa majaribio ya kiganga.

Taasisi na shirika mbalimbali zinafuatilia jinsi gani masharti hayo yanatekelezwa na serikali mbalimbali. Kwa mfano, katika Afrika ya Mashariki kuna United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK) au Shirikisho la Vyama vya Watu Wenye Ulemavu Tanzania.

Nchini Tanzania katiba ya 1977 ilitambua haki za watu wenye ulemavu na kukataza aina zote za ubaguzi. Mnamo mwaka wa 2004, Wizara ya kazi, Maendeleo ya Vijana na Michezo ilitoa Sera ya Taifa ya watu wenye ulemavu, inayosisitiza kujitolea kwa wizara hiyo katika kuhakikisha kwamba kuna haki sawa kwa watu wenye ulemavu.

Michezo ya walemavu

Mechi ya mpira wa kikapu kwenye Paralimpiki mwaka 2008

Kuna nchi nyingi ambako walemavu wana klabu za michezo au kuendesha michezo katika vitengo vya pekee vya klabu za kawaida. Kwa kawaida wanatekeleza michezo ya kawaida lakini kufuatana na kanuni zinazolingana na hitilafu zao.

Kwenye ngazi ya kimataifa kuna mashindano makubwa ambayo ni hasa

• Michezo ya paralimpiki (Paralympics) kwa walemavu wa mwili
• Olimpiki za pekee (Special Olympics) kwa walemavu wa akili
• Deaflympics kwa watu wasiosikia

Viungo vya nje

Wikimedia Commons ina media kuhusu:

Ulemavu

• Shirikisho la Vyama vya watu wenye ulemavu Tanzania SHIVYAWATA - Tanzania Federation of Disabled People’s Organizations
• Taarifa: Hali ya haki za watu wenye ulemavu Tanzania, imetolewa na SHIVYAWATA
• Walemavu wana haki ya kupata elimu, Hakielimu Sautielimu toleo 9-2009
• Watoto na Ulemavu - ajenda ya watoto, muhtasari wa utetezi watoto; UNICEF Tanzania
• Ishara za ulemavu wa masomo, beehive Kenya
• Tovuti ya Chama cha Viziwi Tanzania CHIVITA - Tanzania Association of the Deaf
• Tovuti ya Tanzania Users and Survivors of Psychiatry Organisation TUSPO

Kujisomea

• C. G. Mung'ong'o, Njozi iliyopotea, Tanzania Pub. House, 1980, ISBN 9976100205, 9789976100204

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