Jean de Dieu Niyonzima, a visually impaired student emerged the fifth top performer in Ordinary Level national examinations in the country in the results released on Tuesday August 27. He is a student at Nyaruguru-based Education Institute for Blind Children in Kibeho, an exclusive special needs school for children with visual impairment.

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In an interview, he said that his message to other disabled students would be that nothing is impossible because he had achieved what he had never imagined he could achieve, calling upon other children with similar condition to be confident that they can achieve whatever they strive to achieve.

Niyonzima, whose ambition is to become a journalist, is a good example of how disability inclusion can bear results. Ensuring that everybody has the same opportunities to participate in every aspect of life to the best of their abilities and desires is not to be done out of pity, but out of conviction that it is only fair.

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Disability inclusion in schools is the first step in realising a fundamental human right, that every child, regardless of their abilities, has the right to a quality education. It is also a way to ensure that students with disabilities have the same opportunities as their peers to learn, grow, and succeed.

We can all take part in this cause. First is to end all stigma against people living with disabilities, as well as not tolerating it. Another way is to ensure accessibility, inclusive classroom practices, and involving special needs children and staff at all levels.

Let us remember that inclusion is not a favour, but a fundamental right.