The Reality Children Face

Understanding the Challenge: Disability in Zambia

In Zambia, it is estimated that 4.4% of children (2-17 years) live with disabilities and are among the most vulnerable members of society. Limited access to healthcare, widespread poverty, and a lack of inclusive infrastructure mean that many children with physical disabilities grow up without the support they need to thrive. For families living in rural or under-resourced communities, assistive devices such as wheelchairs are often unavailable, unaffordable, or unsuitable for local terrain.

Without mobility support, many children spend their days lying on the ground or being carried on their caregiver’s back. This affects not only their physical(development) health, but also their emotional wellbeing and social development. Attending school becomes difficult or impossible, increasing the likelihood of long-term exclusion from education. In many cases, stigma and misunderstanding around disability lead to children being hidden away at home, isolated from community life altogether. 

Poverty and disability are closely linked. Often at the birth of a disabled child the father abandons the family, leaving the difficult task to raise her children alone. When a child requires constant care, a parent, the mother, is unable to work, further limiting household income. Before receiving a wheelchair, families frequently describe lives shaped by exhaustion, worry, and a certain sense of hopelessness. It is within this context that Blu Spring’s work begins.