Achieving disability inclusion starts with unlearning misconceptions
As far as humanity’s existence can be traced, it’s true that we have grown significantly inalienable to our history. Our past has become a large mirror before which we gaze daily intending to assess our progress. In the Kenyan societal context, it’s this moment of reflection — in particular regard to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), which should rightfully constitute our nightmares.
Looking back, no amount of refrain can immunize us from bumping into the gory images that accurately describe the inhumane treatments our society has subjected PWDs to over the past decades. In most of our communities, misconceptions have been widely used as determinants of the status quo for disabled people. These social stigmas against PWDs originate from those days when our society interpreted the birth of a disabled child as direct communication of how unhappy the family gods were with the affected household, to those when families locked their disabled members indoors to hide them from the vision of strangers in fear of being regarded negatively.
With social stigmatization burrowing deeply into Kenyan society, PWDs were significantly marginalized in all areas of life. This belittlement has created a massive gap between able-bodied people and those with disabilities as manifested through the inadequate representation of PWDs in politics, schools, medical care, and many other major sectors. Due to this lack of representation, able-bodied people — by the fact of their adequate representation in everyday life, mistakenly view how disabled people conduct themselves in similar spaces as incorrect. However, recent days continue to be marked by the rising of PWDs beyond the existing socio-economic and political barriers and claiming their rightful place in Kenyan society.
Unlike the larger population, the ascending of PWDs into highly coveted positions can only be likened to the emergency of a new current within Kenya’s turbulent waters. This current has slowly gained momentum and can no longer be suppressed. After becoming the first hearing-impaired Kenyan to obtain a Ph.D. in 1980, Prof. Michael Ndurumo became a force to reckon with in setting the pace for this current that now flows unwaveringly. Furthermore, his direct involvement in the drafting of constitutional reforms has greatly aided the representation of the voice of PWDs in our laws.
Although the transformation of the nation into an inclusive society is one of the major pillars holding Kenya Vision 2030, many people still find it difficult to comprehend how PWDs can be entrusted with top positions in the country’s social institutions. Some days ago, I sat in the company of fellow Kenyans as the newly appointed judges took their oath of office. As the process continued, most of us followed silently while others maintained their low-tone chats. However, voices started rising when Dr. Imaana Laibuta — a visually impaired judge, took his turn to take the oath.
Despite being thrilled to witness Kenya producing her first-ever visually impaired judge, it was equally surprising for me to note that some of my companions appeared exasperated. Their dissatisfaction resulted in heated arguments questioning Laibuta’s ability to effectively function in his new capacity given his underlying condition. After keenly following their conversations, I later concluded that our society still drowns in a pool filled with misconceptions about disabilities.
Such reactions essentially imply that we still have a large section of Kenyans who believe that one’s state of impairment directly interprets into their mental incapability. This kind of reasoning is not only archaic but also extremely unfair. Knowing that this is the type of society we live in should be a driving factor for us to delve into further initiatives to help our communities unlearn their deeply rooted prejudices about PWDs.
Today, PWDs in different corners of the globe continue facing numerous hindrances as they strive to achieve their self-actualization. The same type of barriers experienced by a 12-year-old visually impaired girl in her pursuit of education in Kenya are more likely to be encountered by her male counterpart in India. Similarly, as a physically impaired individual in the streets of Buenos Aires struggles to access public avenues using a wheelchair because of a non-accommodative physical environment, another hearing-impaired person in Kabul cannot access vital public information due to the inadequacy of sign language interpreters.
Unlike past days when the quest for disability rights was left to a few civil society organizations, the achievement of an all-inclusive society now calls for a collective effort. The fight to debunk misconceptions about PWDs in our societies should progressively originate from the family level before proceeding to other avenues. If correct information about disability would be relayed to children in their early developmental stages, victory against existing misconceptions would be more imminent.
As acknowledged by Enrique Manalo — Philippines Ambassador, during his 2020 International Day of PWDs address, it’s unequivocally true that owing to the challenging nature of this pandemic period: “ Gains achieved for the persons with disabilities are at the risk of being reversed.” However, instead of using his assertion as a simple prediction of a forthcoming premonition, his words should remind us of how greater our call to fight for an all-inclusive society keeps getting. This is because leaving PWDs behind equally means jeopardizing the achievement of our universal strategy of ‘Sustainable and Resilient Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic’.
