By: Finna Kahili

A 37-year-old visually impaired Miriam Kamberipa calls for equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities, citing discrimination in the job market where they are often overlooked despite having qualifications. Kamberipa, who is currently unemployed despite obtaining an Honours degree in Industrial Psychology nine years ago, also has two certificates in counselling.

In 2021, Kamberipa began studying for a diploma in Early Childhood Development with Namcol but unfortunately had to drop out because of financial constraints. She is also a certified masseur. Kamberipa shares that she didn’t experience blindness from birth, but started losing her sight because of ongoing eye problems.

She mentioned that visually impaired people in the country face discrimination in the job market, leading to underestimation of their abilities. Kamberipa added that they are often overlooked even in jobs where no qualifications are required. Employment Equity Commissioner, Otniel Podewiltz, advised people with a disability facing discrimination to file a complaint with the Ministry of Labour Industrial Relation and Employment creation.

In addition, Podewiltz also noted the Ministry’s efforts to provide a list of qualified disabled persons to employers.