Abstract

The purpose of the study was to analyse the extent to which disability has been mainstreamed in water and sanitation programmes that were implemented by both state and non-state actors in Madziwa community under Shamva district in Zimbabwe. Enhancing the wellbeing of people living with disability in relation to water and sanitation was the overarching aim of the study. The researchers applied the Transformative Social Policy conceptual framework. This conceptual framework emphasises that social policy programmes and projects should be protective, preventive, promotive and transformative. Water and sanitation programmes are components of social policy in Zimbabwe. An analytical research design based primarily on qualitative research methods was applied. The researchers aimed to go beyond statistics on geographical and population coverage, which often shrouds the situated meanings and lived experiences of the often marginalised groups such as people living with disabilities. This focus inclined itself to qualitative data collection and analysis. The results of the study show that disability was never considered in designing and implementing water and sanitation programmes. There is need to design and implement disabilityfriendly water and sanitation programmes in Madziwa community and other parts of Zimbabwe to enhance the wellbeing of people living with disabilities.