CURRENT PROGRAMMES

(a) Provision of Policy Direction on disability and elderly issues

• Developed and coordinating implementation of Disability Policy and Elderly Policy.
• Implementation of the National Action Plan on Persons with Albinism

(b) Disability Mainstreaming

• Developed the National Disability Mainstreaming Strategy to guide the sector in mainstreaming disability;
• Building capacity of sectors through trainings so that they effectively mainstream disability issues into their programmes

(c) Awareness Raising and Rights Promotion

         (i) International Days observance

•  Commemorate International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) on 1^st October every year
• Commemorate International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on 3^rd December every year. From 2015, the country adopted observance of Disability Awareness Month from 3^rd November to 3^rd December every year.
• Observe International Albinism Awareness Day on 13^th June every year.
• Observe the World Elder abuse Awareness Day on 15^th June of every year.
• Observe International Day of Sign Language on 23^rd September every year.

         (ii) Advocacy and Dissemination of Disability materials

• Engage various stakeholders including the media and sensitize them on various policies, laws, strategies.
• Use community and media campaigns to raise awareness of disability and elderly issues.
• Developed, produced and disseminate various IEC and other disability and elderly related materials to stakeholders and general public to promote awareness. For instance, disability friendly terminologies.

(d) Rehabilitation

1. Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID)

The Department is collaborating with MACOHA to implement CBID programme in order to build capacity of councils to mainstream disability and provide inclusive services. However, this programme is coordinated by MACOHA. Currently the programme is in 13 districts, but is expected to roll-out across the country.

       2. Vocational Training

Persons with a disability receive vocational skills training in Agriculture, carpentry, tinsmithing, homecraft, tailoring, refrigeration and baking, among others. There are 2 centers run by MACOHA; Lilongwe Vocational and Training Center and Kamuzu Vocational Rehabilitation Center at Magomero. The Department manages Mulanje Vocational Training Centres for the Blind.

       3. Promotion of Access to the physical environment and information

• Collaborating with Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) to come up with Accessibility Standards for use by the general public to construct accessible facilities for public use.
• Undertaking disability access audits to advise facility owners on adaptation or rehabilitation for accessibility

       4. Economic Empowerment

Through the Disability Trust fund, the Department intend to empower persons with disabilities through various programs and services like provision of capital items in groups or individuals to start small scale businesses for their livelihoods. The Departments also facilitate the linkage of persons with disabilities and the elderly with money lending institutions to access soft loans to start businesses like NEEF.

        5. Provision of assistive devices

The Department facilitates access to mobility devices such as wheelchairs and other assistive devices for use by persons with various forms of disabilities. Devices enable persons with disabilities to take part in community activities.