Kenyan MP Calls for Government Disability Department
By Kay Schriner (kays@uark.edu)
Josephine Sinyo, a blind member of the Kenyan Parliament, has called for the establishment of an independent government department to address disability concerns.
Sinyo, who is also chairperson of the United Disabled People of Kenya organization, claims that policy reforms are necessary to help people with disabilities in Kenya. "We need strong government policies addressing specific disability problems," she is quoted as saying in The Nation newspaper.
A government department on disability should be staffed by individuals with disabilities, said Sinyo in her remarks at a workshop on child labor issues.
In her speech, Sinyo also recalled that, when she was nominated to the Parliament, the Electoral Commission delayed ratifying the nomination because of her disability.
Also in Kenya, a review commission established to recommend constitutional changes admitted that the commissions' civic education materials are not available in Braille or other alternative formats.
Speaking before the National Convention for People with Disabilities, the commission chairperson, Yash Pal Ghai, assured convention delegates that one person with a disability will be selected from each district for participation in the National Constitutional Conference.
Information for this story was taken from http://allafrica.com
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