Stakeholders from the East African Community (EAC) states yesterday closed a two-day meeting where they sought 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.

Officials said the symposium sought to help them learn and share experiences on best practices and challenges in our countries and how they are mainstreaming disability issues in their plans.

Although not in the mould of integration per se, it is a hugely refreshing effort for the Community as it helps policy-makers and stakeholders learn more about what works and what doesn’t and why.

The issues of persons living with disabilities (PLWDs) will always remain a critical one for any economy, more so developing ones like in the Community. But the challenge is always keeping up with an evolving world by seeking ways to continue enacting policies that favour the rights of PLWDs.

Take for instance the ideals of special needs education and training. It remains a major challenge to PLWDs to access the kind of education that would enable them live with dignity with self-reliance. Stakeholders keep trying, but striking the right chord is often elusive.

Whereas every partner state is expected to have a sign language dictionary for their persons with hearing impairments, some are yet to produce the same. Yet, as a Community, it is important that EAC begins to look at drafting a regional framework for PLWDs that would include having a common sign language dictionary.

If citizens are going to fully enjoy integration fruits, then PLWDs, like the hearing impaired people, should not be hampered by differences in such settings as sign languages.

Equally important is that from such a stakeholders meeting as that which just ended in Kigali, policy-makers can consider the issues of providing health insurance cover as well as tax exemptions for PLWDs. It is encouraging that some EAC partner states, like Rwanda, already have such policies.