Namibia’s health ministry has launched a digital disability assessment system, but advocates warn that poor rural connectivity and a lack of follow-up support could create new barriers.
The Namibian Organisation of Youth with Disabilities has warned that this, along with inadequate equipment and limited digital skills could create new barriers, particularly in rural areas.
Spokesperson Otto Gotlieb has welcomed the digital shift but says its success would depend on whether the system is accessible beyond major urban centres.
“For a young person living in a remote area, travelling to a regional or central facility for an assessment sometimes means paying for transport or spending money on accommodation and food and potentially losing income, or missing classes for those who are students,” he says.
A properly implemented digital assessment system could reduce the number of physical visits required and make it easier for medical information to move between healthcare facilities and the relevant authorities, Gotlieb says.
He calls for alternatives for people who do not have smartphones, reliable internet access or the digital skills needed to navigate the process.
He says people with disabilities need clear pathways from assessment to actual support.
“What matters is what happens after a young person has been assessed, or all persons with disabilities,” he says.
Assessment outcomes should be linked to services such as assistive devices, rehabilitation, social protection, education, skills training and employment opportunities, the spokesperson says.
“A person may receive an assessment confirming a disability, but still wait months or years even for a wheelchair or a hearing device, rehabilitation services, or other appropriate support,” Gotlieb says.
For young people, he believes stronger pathways are needed from disability assessment into education and economic participation.
“If a young person is assessed but remains unable to access tertiary education, for instance, or vocational training, or employment, or entrepreneurial opportunities, then the assessment has not fundamentally changed their lives or their circumstances,” he says.
Gotlieb believes young people with disabilities and organisations representing them should also be involved in monitoring the new digital system so that problems can be identified before they become widespread.
“The objective should ultimately be to move young persons and the elderly from assessment to actual access to the support and opportunities that they will require.”
‘FASTER, BETTER’
The Ministry of Health and Social Services launched the Digital Programme for Medical Assessment for Persons with Disabilities on Friday alongside the Namibian Guideline for the Medical Assessment of Functionality and Degree of Disability.
Health minister Esperance Luvindao at the occasion said the digital programme was introduced to address challenges associated with the previous paper-based assessment system.
“Historically, the process of assessing disability in Namibia was overly reliant on paper-based systems and fragmented administrative procedures,” she said.
Luvindao said this had resulted in long distances which particularly disadvantaged applicants in rural areas.
“This secure, digital platform will allow for faster processing, real-time tracking of applications, and a drastic reduction in administrative backlogs,” Luvindao said.
She urged healthcare workers and administrators implementing the system to ensure technology does not become a barrier to patients.
