Change Your Attitudes Towards PWDs, Address Challenges Hindering Their Success - Chania

Madam Gladys Chania Mwangi has called for attitudinal change amongst the members of the society towards Person Living With Disabilities (PWDs).

Speaking exclusively to Thika Town Today on Monday, Chania said that stigma, prejudice and discrimination had resulted to over 30% of the PWDs reporting an unmet need for some kind of service or assistance due to this attitudinal discrimination.

“Young people with disabilities in Kenya and Africa at large continue to face enormous challenges. The society expects nothing much from PWDs due to lack of awareness of the conditions that these people undergo each day, the most difficult being the barrier to overcome other people’s attitude towards them. They regard them as a burden rather than focusing on their individual abilities,” she said.

She added that all what these people needed was acceptance and not trying to limit them. They needed encouragement to break down barriers by allowing them to participate in social and family life so as to assist them in developing and exploiting their potential.

She called on the policy makers and leaders to create more platforms at the grassroots to create awareness that promoted the already established opportunities for the PWDs and to promote the use of rules in the development of national policies related to disability and rehabilitation.

“Every person, regardless of their personal circumstances, has a right of access to and participation in the governance system according to their potential and ability. The biggest challenge that face PWDs is implementation. We have very good laws on disability and have strong affirmative action laws around disability, but making this the reality on the ground is difficult due to our attitudes towards them. We need open their way into community life by removing the barriers to their participation,” said Chania.

On the ongoing ID/voter registration exercises, Chania said there was a great need to address voter apathy amongst our people from a psychological aspect. She called on community leaders to encourage people to register and continue advocating for the fulfillment of promises that they gave to them. She also called for entrepreneurship empowerment among the youth and women so as to motivate them into positivity in all aspects of governance.