At various times, people with disabilities have been heard saying that they study but finish school and have the problem of not being given the opportunity to compete with others in the labor market, often being looked at in the mirror of the disability they have and deprived of opportunities.
This is one of the factors that led different groups of people with disabilities to organize talks so that those in the public and private sector are reminded that people with disabilities can do good work and should not be excluded.
The private sector has been accused of neglecting people with disabilities when it comes to employment, so the Private Sector Council of Rwanda (PSF) should be involved in finding a solution to this problem.
The Executive Secretary of the Council of Persons with Disabilities in Rwanda (NCPD), Ndayisaba Emmanuel, says that NCPD and PSF have a collaboration agreement to resolve this issue.
He said, “There is a partnership agreement with PSF because we found it to be the easiest way to convey the message to the private sector.”
Ndayisaba says that this agreement is giving results because there are examples of when NCPD was asked by PSF for a list of names of people with disabilities and the jobs they can do.
He says he is waiting to find out when the job tests will be used.
The Deputy Director of the Rwandan Association of Women with Disabilities (UNABU), Umaliya Djovine, says that when it comes to women or girls with disabilities, it is still difficult for them to find work.
He said, “I would say that until now, people with disabilities are behind in terms of employment, but now for women and girls with disabilities, I would say that they are special.”
Umaliya says that the fact that there are those who consider a woman as weak for work even if she does not have a disability, affects the woman and the girl who has it too much.
He asks everyone to have information about the lives of people with disabilities, and to understand that there are things they can do and do well if they are given the opportunity to show it.
The General Director of the Rwanda Private Association (PSF), Bafakulera Robert, says that having a disability does not mean that you cannot work, and he asks the private sector not to dismiss the disabled because they are capable.
He said, “Having a disability does not mean that a person cannot do work, and there are many different jobs based on a person’s condition and what they can do.”
Bafakulera gave an example of a job that uses technology so that a person with a disability can do it better than a person without a disability.
The PSF plans to create forums for people from different walks of life to facilitate advocacy.
These forums will include those for the disabled, women and youth.
The figures of the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) show that 32 thousand people with different disabilities live in different sectors that make up the City of Kigali.
Currently, this council expresses its concern that among the more than 30,000 people with disabilities in Kigali, about 300 depend on begging.
