People with Disabilities and the Role of Social Workers in Lesotho

Abstract

Some of the most vulnerable members of society the world over include the elderly, children, women and people with disabilities (PWDs). The latter group usually faces serious problems emanating from society’s negative attitudes towards PWDs. According to African Decade 1 (2005) there are more than 600 million people with disabilities worldwide and 180 million are children, 400 million live in developing countries and 80 million in Africa. This paper examines the situation of people with disabilities in Lesotho. It argues that although Lesotho is a signatory to many international conventions and treaties such as the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights; United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women among others, it still does not have specific legislation on disability. This often results in the plight of PWDs not being adequately addressed in many spheres of their lives. The paper provides insights into the roles of social workers in dealing with PWDs in Lesotho.