Kenya Institute of Special Needs Education (KISE) Director Dr. Norman Kiogora has urged parents of children with disabilities to register their children with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) so that the children can be able to access government support and services.
Dr. Kiogora explained at a community outreach programme held in Uasin Gishu County that registration is the key to linking children with disabilities to educational, health and social protection interventions. Besides, it is a step towards supporting national efforts to dissolve stigma and promote inclusion in society.
He also called on the community to be the voices and defenders of the rights of children with disabilities. Moreover, he pointed out that the first step to inclusion is not the school or any other institution but the family, the community. “
Regina Keen, Uasin Gishu County Director for Social Protection, supported the call and invited parents to be willing to embrace their children with disabilities and even consider their talents and abilities in addition to their disabilities
During the outreach programme, some of the children with disabilities were provided with wheelchairs, those with Cerebral Palsy were given diapers, and the children received specially formulated nutritional support that included supplements for the underweight ones and the aim of the initiative was to enhance the health of the children with special needs and to equip the families with information on the existing support systems.