KENYA ROTARY GROUP IS FOCUSING ON GETTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT SERVICES

There are highly energized and determined people on the Rotary Disabilities Group in Kenya that are focusing on getting more people to sign up for government IDs in that country. The group is part of the Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy. They are made up of disability advocates, individuals from NGOs, municipal workers, and Rotarians.

Many Not Signing Up for IDs

The Rotary Group has determined that many people with disabilities in Kenya do not sign up for Government IDs. These IDs give people access to many different types of services that could improve the quality of their lives. It is important that people get an ID, but many do not.

Reasons Why

There are many reasons why people do not sign up for the ID. These include the process. The process can be complicated for many. Other reasons include the fact that many people do not want to disclose their disability or the family does not want to disclose a member’s disability. Not disclosing a disability is often because the people or families view the disability as something to be embarrassed about or simple because the disability could be viewed as a weakness.

Group Offers Encouragement

The Kenya Rotary Group hopes to encourage people to sign up for the ID through many means including campaigns and even finding ways to help people go through the process. 

The Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy is a group of people, backed by the power of Rotary, who are determined to improve the human rights for people with disabilities around the world. For more information contact the group at Rotarywda@gmail.com

 WHY ARE HUMAN RIGHTS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

By Ken Masson, President, Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy

 

Human Rights for people with disabilities begin with supporting each person’s right to dignity, respect, and quality of life. These should be given rights for everyone, but for many generations, these rights have been denied people simply because they have disabilities. And the denial is based on the attitude of society which often views people with disabilities as inferior to people without disabilities.

 

All Accomplishments Are Important

 

Even people with disabilities who are successful in academic and business activities often are not as respected as the same successful non-disabled individuals. It is a reality of history. Yet because it has always been that way, does not make it acceptable or something to be written off by comments like “that’s life.”

For the advocates, the battle to change these attitudes should never be viewed as a losing battle but rather as a never-ending battle that often celebrates small accomplishments as well as big ones. Getting ADA passed in the United States was a major accomplishment that was celebrated but then too getting a local organizations to turn on closed captions for virtual meetings should also have its cheers.

 

Human Rights Are Basic Rights

 

For people with disabilities, human rights include accessibility and inclusion as well as the rights to have a job, equal education, being provided accommodations for activities that should be normal in everyone’s life. It also involves being respected as a person, sharing an equal position in every event, being understood as different but never weird, being recognized for contributions rather than viewed as a burden, and so much more.

 

Advocacy Is Not Charitable Work

 

Unfortunately, there are some areas of society that see advocating for people with disabilities as something to feel good about or something to expect a pat on the back for doing.   Advocating for the human rights of people with disabilities is not charitable work It is the work of those who genuinely believe that there are wrongs that need to be righted and that people with disabilities are equals to everyone in all aspects of life.

 

The Best Time for Progress Is Always Now

 

There are many organizations that are true advocates for people with disabilities. These include the Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy. These organizations and their people believe that the status quo will never be acceptable, that every barrier presents opportunities for change, and that the best time for progress is always now.

 

For more information on the Rotary Club for Disability Advocacy write to rotarywda@gmail.com

 

 “Disability & Inspiration - Common Misconceptions”

By Ali Ingersoll

Disability, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist 

As a C6 quadriplegic injured in a shallow water diving accident in 2010 leaving me paralyzed from the chest down and a full-time wheelchair user, I am no stranger to being called an inspiration on a regular basis as so many others with disabilities undoubtedly find themselves in similar situations.  

The challenge for many people with disabilities being called an inspiration lies in the perception beneath the word “inspiration.”  Are we being called an inspiration simply because we are living a life with a disability and able-bodied people find it inspirational that we are surviving a life simply because of our disability?  Or, are they calling us an inspiration because of our accomplishments and contributions to society just as any other member of the community?

People with disabilities have a variety of different views on how to educate the public about disability and what inspirational is supposed to mean.  Disabled people don’t always agree on exactly what makes a disability depiction helpful, however most experience a certain discomfort with what are supposed to be positive stories in the media about disabled people.  These stories are usually well-intentioned, but often times make people with disabilities feel embarrassed or demoralized.

There is a conflict between intent and effect of disability depictions.  This is where the term “Inspiration Porn” comes into play.  It’s an informal term, coined by the late Australian disability activist, Stella Young, for a general genre of media depictions of disabled people.  Inspiration porn generally shares one or more of the following qualities:

·         Sentimentality or pity

·         Uplifting moral message primarily aimed at nondisabled viewers

·         Disabled people anonymously objectified

These representations, while not meant to be harmful, can be very manipulative and limiting in the view of getting to the heart of how people live, what they think, and how they are affected by what’s going on in their daily lives.

I have also fallen victim to inspiration porn myself.  For example, I’ve lost count how many times people have come up to me and told me what an inspiration I am in a coffee shop.  They don’t even know me.  However, while there certainly did not seem to be any ill intent with their comments, I can only conclude they are assuming I’m inspiration because of my wheelchair, not despite of it. Many of us with disabilities want to be commended for our contributions to our work, community, society, etc., not simply because we are disabled and decided to go out for a coffee by ourselves without assistance.