Engaging Information Technology for Advocacy

Engaging Information Technology for Advocacy

The year 2020 saw the advent of the dreadful Covid 19 pandemic. As we all know the pandemic has had so many negative effects on us all as a human race. People with disabilities have not been spared of the pandemic, in fact they have been the hardest hit in terms of negative impact. Little if any awareness targeting persons with disabilities concerning how they can prevent themselves from catching this deadly virus has been provided. In Zimbabwe the bulk of persons with disabilities who are economically active are in the informal sector. During the early days of the pandemic a very strict lockdown was imposed to try to slow the spread of the virus. This measure led to the loss of livelihoods of many vendors who usually used to sell their wares in town. Apart from this the lockdown saw a banning of public gatherings. This spelt disaster of Disability Activists such as Mr Tsepang T. Nare who used to attend workshops and other forums to lobby for inclusion of disability across all development sectors.

Tsepang or “Tsepy the Legend”, as he prefers to be called is a youthful, vibrant disability rights activist. Tsepang is a Human Resources Practitioner by profession who holds a Diploma in Human Resource Management from the Institute of Personnel Managers of Zimbabwe (I.P.M.Z). He notes that disability rights activism has always been in his DNA, as he began his journey as an Activist during his high school days at King George VI Memorial School in Bulawayo. Tsepy the Legend highlighted that when he was in form 3 he was appointed into the Junior Parliament of Zimbabwe. During his tenure at Junior Parliament he actively advocated for issues of inclusion, equal participation and representation for persons with disabilities. He has never looked back ever since.

When asked about how he has managed to soldier on with his work during this Covid 19 pandemic, Tsepy highlighted how Information technology, particularly social media has played an integral role in enabling him to continue his advocacy work. He notes that social media has enabled him to reach a wide audience which one is unable to typically reach notwithstanding the Covid 19 pandemic. Mr Nare further emphasized that social media is vital in shaping perspectives considering that many people spend a greater part of their day glued onto their gadgets. He also argued that microblogging sites like; Twitter give people with disabilities the opportunity to directly engage with those in positions of influence. Tsepy has also observed that social media when used correctly and consistently can increase one’s visibility.

Prior to the Covid 19 pandemic, Tsepy indicated that he was influential in the drafting of a Disability Inclusive Policy at Action Aid Zimbabwe. In terms of activism through Social Media he mentioned that there are some challenges he has had to overcome such as under representation of people with disabilities on some online discussion forums which often lead to the trivialization of disability issues.

When asked how people with disabilities can effectively use social media for lobbying and advocacy, Tsepy suggested that partnering with other activists to increase awareness was one of the major keys of successful virtual advocacy. Training is another aspect which he pointed out was vital, as many people with disabilities are not proficient in the use of Smart Phones and other Information Technology gadgets. He views training as a catalyst that will increase participation of people with disabilities in virtual advocacy. Tsepang also mentioned that organizations such as Thisability Hub which have an interconnected network are necessary when one intends to reach a wide online audience. Mr Nare highlighted that there is also need for resources towards ensuring people with disabilities get gadgets that enable them to effectively carry out their virtual advocacy and activism.

In closing, Tsepy pointed out that there is need to ensure that data tariffs remain affordable to enable maximum and effective digital advocacy and activism.

Follow Tsepang T. Nare on his social media handles:

Facebook: Tsepang Thembani Nare

Twitter: @thelegend_tsepy