The Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi (FEDOMA) has expressed concern over government’s failure to adopt education of deafblind persons as a focus area.

Speaking to YONECO FM Online inside the deafblind awareness month of June, FEDOMA’s executive director Symon Munde said, government should ensure measures are put in place to promote education for deafblind persons.

Munde mentioned that FEDOMA is geared to build capacity for persons of deaf blindness so that their voices are amplified.

“This is one of the marginalized disabilities and such we have taken steps in empowering persons with disabilities because we feel that persons with deaf blindness can play a role in advocating for rights of persons with disabilities.

“We feel that government should take serious action on the education for persons with deaf blindness because we can’t have a particular segment of the population that has not been fully embraced by government in terms of education,” Munde said.

Reacting to the concerns, spokesperson in the Ministry of Education Chikondi Chimala said government wishes that all children access quality education.

“We realize that learners with special needs should be given a platform to display their skills and we are working collaboratively with FEDOMA and other organizations and that schools are well equipped to accommodate all learners,” Chimala said.

In the meantime the ministry is planning to establish a special needs institute which will carter for special needs learners.