Abstract:
People with disabilities (PWDs) are often subjected to economic and social exclusion.
This paper assesses factors that contribute to, and/or hinder the implementation of
Botswana’s national disability policy. Despite the Government of Botswana’s efforts to
uplift marginalised and vulnerable groups, PWDs remain disenfranchised as a result of
social, physical and legislative barriers. Data was collected from secondary data sources
and analysed using thematic analysis. The Analysis of Determinants of Policy Impact
(ADEPT) approach, which aims to explain and influence policy development and
policy impact implementation with four determinants: goals, obligations, resources and
opportunities, was adopted. The study’s findings show that 22 years after its adoption,
the National Policy on Care for People with Disabilities has not resulted in the desired
policy outcomes, let alone achieved its objective of improving the lives of people with
disabilities. While the Policy has the potential to be an important tool in achieving social
inclusion and protecting the rights of PWDs, implementation gaps remain, essentially
limiting its effectiveness.