‘People with disabilities are not suffering’ – Disability Council…NDCN rejects ‘suffering’ narrative, says disability should not define a person

Patience Makwele

People with disabilities are not victims who “suffer” because of their conditions, the National Disability Council of Namibia (NDCN) has said, calling for a shift away from outdated language and perceptions that continue to reinforce stigma.

Jessica !Gawachab, head of legal compliance and company secretary at the national disability council of Namibia, said persons with disabilities should be recognised as individuals first, rather than being defined by their disabilities.

“People with disabilities are not suffering. They have an impairment and they have a disability,” !Gawachab said during a two-day stakeholder education and awareness training on the Revised National Policy on Disability (2025–2035) and its cost Implementation Action Plan (2025–2030) in Oshakati on Wednesday.

She said institutions and communities should adopt person-first language, moving away from terms that label people by their disabilities, including descriptions that portray them as victims or incapable of participating fully in society.