Stakeholders from East African Community states are meeting in Kigali to establish a network and chart common strategies to support persons with disabilities in various domains such as health, education, employment, transport and accessibility, collaboration with NGO partners, among others.

Speaking at the two-day workshop, Alvera Mukabaramba, the state minister for community development and social affairs, said: "We have to learn and share experiences on best practices and challenges in our countries and how they are mainstreaming disability issues in their plans.”

She welcomed the initiative of a common network saying it would reinforce regional advocacy.

Emmanuel Ndayisenga, the executive secretary of Rwanda National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), noted that policies were in place but implementation still remained a challenge.

"The disabled still lack support due to limited technical and financial means. There are also limited means of monitoring and coordinating all activities to know the beneficiaries and who lack access at the same time avoiding duplication,” he said.

A 2012 survey showed that there were over 446,000 people with disabilities, excluding children across the country. Beginning next month, they will be classified in five categories depending on the extent of their disability, he explained.

There have been strides in the health sector support such as tax exemption for equipment and materials used in orthopedic workshops while some categories of disabled get health insurance.

Ndayisenga said special needs education was being fostered by training teachers and that a ministerial order was in the pipeline to ensure that all children in need of special education are served starting from nursery schools and a sign language dictionary will soon be completed.

He added that the national employment programme also helps persons with disabilities who have completed TVET courses and Rwf60m is given every year to support their cooperatives.

"Rwanda Housing Authority, with our collaboration, has issued guidelines and standards in infrastructure access for the impaired. Sanctions are also in place in case of non compliance,” he said.

Alex Havyarimana, the chairperson of a network of associations of persons with disabilities in Burundi, said there was no council of persons with disabilities in his country.

"We are learning from Rwanda and other countries how to set up such a body. Rwanda is progressing well in terms of laws and even UN conventions, but we do not even have clear laws on that, not even regarding infrastructure or sign language dictionary. We are in the process of establishing the law and then the council before joining the EAC countries to create the regional network,” he said.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw