Phillip Majyambere, 35 a resident of Fumbwe Sector, Rwamagana District in Eastern Province lost vision when he was only seven following a short illness. 

He grew up in a large household where he faced discrimination from relatives who called names like ‘blind man’ or ‘blind fool’. He would end up in the corner, crying because of emotional damage.

He attended primary school, but did not receive the additional support a child in his state deserved. Here he faced more prejudice and discrimination but did not notice at the moment.

"There were times when other students would knock me down and I would rely on teachers to lend a hand to me and put me back on the right path. I didn’t know that this was discrimination. I thought it was normal, just what everyone went through when walking down the corridor at school,” Majyambere says.

There was nothing like Braille (a form of written language for blind people, in which characters are represented by patterns of raised dots that are felt with the fingertips) those days. Often he was assisted by a teacher to read for him during exams.

Majyambere’s attendance of school was irregular, he depended on a nephew for guidance during walking, and whenever his nephew was not around, going to school was out of question.

He also got very little attention in class. It was clear that the teachers despised him; he was excluded from discussion groups and sometimes heavily punished for no particular reason. Majyambere says because his performance was always poor, he usually did not get promoted.

He spent six years in three classes before finally dropping out without even learning how to read or write.

In 2003, with the help of the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), Majyambere was given a walking stick and put on a Braille course. "I can now read and write, and don’t need a guide to travel any where,” he says.

Now a poultry farmer, he is married and has two children.

National efforts

Majyambere is certainly not alone in this situation. There are about 450,000 persons with different forms of disabilities in the country, according to the 2012 Population Census data; and last Wednesday, Rwanda joined the rest of the world to mark the International Day of Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWD’s). At national level, celebrations were held in Muhanga District.

The theme of the day was ‘The role of technology in disaster risk reduction and emergency responses, enabling working environments for persons with disabilities and disability-Inclusive sustainable development goals among others’

Also, in March this year the government started the process of categorizing people living with disabilities to better support them. The exercise, whose first phase is finished and is benefiting over 155,000 people, was conducted by a team of medics, under supervision of the Ministry of Local Government. The second phase is expected to kick off soon, according to Emmanuel Ndayisaba, the Executive Secretary of the NCPD.

Emmanuel Gashirabake, one of the leaders of the disabled in Gahini Sector, Kayonza District, Eastern Province praises the exercise saying it was long overdue.

"Our needs differ, some of us need wheel chairs for mobility, and others need hearing aids, walking sticks, among others. So, unless one knows what to offer, nothing meaningful can be done,” he said.

In a related development, starting from September this year, over 6,000 people with disabilities in 9 districts were enrolled on an adult literacy programme through a project supported by the General Association of People with Disabilities in Rwanda (AGHR).

Various laws to protect and advance interests of PLWDs are in place. For instance in 2003, a policy on disability was formulated and this led to the enactment of the law nº01/2007 which protects persons with disabilities in general. And this was followed by Ministerial Orders to implement it.

"Rwanda is undergoing reforms in all sectors where vulnerable groups such as poverty-stricken survivors of the Genocide, demobilised soldiers who need reintegration into civilian life, persons with disabilities are all included,” says MP Gaston Rusiha, the representative of PLWDs in Parliament.

He also pointed out that the NCPD is developing the Rwanda sign language dictionary, which will eventually make sign language recognised as a national language.

"Vaccination coverage is improving with an increase in the number of children having all vaccinations from 75 per cent in 2005 to 90 per cent in 2010. This contributes to disability prevention,” Rusiha added.

About 468 houses for ex-combatants with disabilities have been constructed and the veterans receive a monthly stipend, according to the lawmaker.

Rwanda has over 30 specialized centers across the country receiving and taking care of persons with handicaps. There are also more than 15 associations concerned with the rights of persons with disabilities.

People living with disabilities have a representative in Parliament, while three community health workers charged with PLWD’s issues are deployed per village.

"Many buildings and roads are not designed with needs of PLWD’s in consideration, so the government has to look into that too,” says Phillip Kajabago, a disabled person living in Remera, a Kigali suburb.

WHO statistics

World health statistics released early this month show that over a billion people, about 15% of the world’s population, have some form of disability. Between 110 million and 190 million adults have significant difficulties in functioning.

Rates of disability are increasing due to population ageing and increases in chronic health conditions, among other causes. People with disabilities have less access to health care services and therefore experience unmet health care needs.