By Staff Reporter
The number of people living with disabilities has jumped by 55 percent in just over a decade, rising from 98,413 in 2011 to 152,790 in 2023.
The increase of 54,377 people comes as government moves to overhaul a disability assessment system that has been dogged by delays, inconsistencies and administrative hurdles.
Vice president Lucia Witbooi on Friday launched the Namibian Guideline on the Medical Assessment of Functionality and Degree of Disability, together with a new Digital Programme for Medical Assessment of Persons with Disabilities, in Windhoek.
The reforms are intended to bring greater consistency to assessments, cut delays and improve access to services.
The 2023 Population and Housing Census shows that about 12 percent of the country’s 756,339 households have a person with a disability, while seven percent are headed by persons with disabilities.
“These figures remind us that disability touches our families, our communities, our institutions and our entire society,” Witbooi said.
The reform comes as the disability pension has risen from N$300 at Independence to N$1,700 a month as of April 2026.
The 2023 Census indicates that approximately eight percent of the population receives the disability pension, putting added importance on a fair and efficient assessment process.
Health professionals and applicants have faced unclear procedures, inconsistent application of assessment criteria and administrative complications.
These problems have contributed to delays and made access to social protection more difficult for some applicants.
The new guideline is expected to standardize the assessment process, improve accountability and ensure that decisions are made more consistently.
The digital programme is aimed at reducing duplication, improving record-keeping and strengthening the management of assessment information.
Government also hopes the system will improve access for people in rural areas, where services can be harder to reach.
Witbooi said the assessment process should not itself become an obstacle.
“That gateway must never become a barrier,” she said, stressing that the system must be accessible, responsive, affordable and timely.
