The Deputy Minister for Disability Affairs, Alexia Manombe-Ncube, says mainstreaming disability issues is an integral part of relevant strategies for sustainable development.

Manombe-Ncube was speaking at the International Day of People with Disabilities, which took place at Katima Mulilo.

''People with disabilities need empowerment; youth with disabilities need employment; they need housing; they need to look after their families; so that is the one thing that must be recognised; they need to be in politics; they need to be elected in positions of decision-making''.

Manombe-Ncube said this while applauding the government's efforts to include people with disabilities in the 2023–2024 financial year.

These, she said, include the adoption and usage of the six Washington group of questions as an international standard for collecting data on disabilities during the current census by the Namibia statistics agency, as well as an increase in grants for children with disabilities under 16 years from 250 to N$1400.

Another is the increase in the operational budget for the division of disability affairs under the ministry of gender equality and the funding of 149 students with disabilities under the student grant programme.

Furthermore, the deputy minister said that much still needs to be done in order to fully and equally recognise people with disabilities as part of the Namibian community. 

Manombe-Ncube called for continuous awareness creation on various disabilities.

The day was marked under the theme "United in action to rescue and achieve the sustainable development goals for and by people with disabilities.".