Disabled decry lack of job opportunities

The president of the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), Gaston Rusiha, has called on the government to come up with strict measures against employers who unfairly deny employment to disabled persons, even when they have the skills needed. In an exclusive interview with The New Times, Rusiha complained that many NCPD members approach him claiming they have been discriminated against. “Disability is not inability. If people have the skills to carry out the required task, why should they be locked out when it comes to seeking employment,” he asked. He explained that this undermines the efforts made by various bodies and organisations to build capacity among the disabled. Zacharie Nkundiye, the legal representative of AGHR (Association Generale des Handicapés du Rwanda), an association for people living with disabilities, said there was an urgent need to respond to the issue. “Though partnerships with development partners, we have so far trained 153 people. But it’s quite challenging to continue empowering our members when employers are not ready to take them,” Nkundiye said. The Minster of Public Service and Labour, Anastase Murekezi, said that according to the law, when an able-bodied person receives the same result as a person living with disabilities in a job interview, the disabled must be considered. For private institutions, the minister said that government is considering coming up with incentives that will encourage employers to give jobs to people living with disabilities.