Teachers with disabilities call for inclusive school infrastructure

Teachers who are visually impaired are calling for proper school infrastructure that caters for persons with disabilities. According to them, getting around schools, especially with buildings that have stairways, makes it challenging not only for them but also students with visual impairment. For instance, Jean Marie Uwimana, a visually impaired teacher at GS Amahoro in Rubavu, said that using stairs to get from one class to another is a big challenge for him. “Even though I can move with a cane, it is still a challenge getting around school. Something needs to be done to change this,” he shared. Uwimana emphasised that this challenge is not an issue for teachers only but students with special needs too. Ancille Muragijimana, a visually impaired teacher at GS Nyabiheke in Gatsibo district, said that most schools reside in old buildings which were constructed without considering the special needs of those who live with disability. “But for the new buildings that are being constructed under the Ministry of Education, they should consider both teachers and students who have different kinds of special needs,” she said. Muragijimana said that there should be regulations to ensure that buildings constructed are user friendly, noting also that even with a white cane, at times it can be hard to get around schools, “since school compounds are sometimes stony. However, the considerations shouldn’t only be in school facilities but also in other public places.” The Executive Director of Rwanda Union of the Blind (RUB), Donatille Kanimba, said that this is a challenge that has been taken into consideration and hopefully will be worked on. Kanimba added that she understands how much of a challenge this is for visually impaired teachers or students, as well as those with physical disability. “We have seen progress so far in terms of inclusive education, we believe that this also shall be considered with time,” she said. Eugene Ngoga, Ag. Director of Inclusive Education at REB, said that these are challenges that have been recognised and plans are underway to improve inclusiveness in education. Ngoga added that since most of the schools have old buildings, there are still challenges in terms of finances. “But this consideration has been taken into action with the recent new schools that were constructed. We are doing a study to see how many schools don’t have an inclusive environment for people with disabilities and after getting the numbers, we shall see how to fix through renovations where possible,” he said.

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Teachers with disabilities call for inclusive school infrastructure