Keynote Speech

By Ms. Phoebe Nyagudi Executive Director, National Council for Persons with Disabilities

At

The Gender & Disability Mainstreaming GDDMC2011 Congress

North Coast Beach Resort, Kikambala-Mombasa 18th May 2011

Mr. Peterlis Nyatuga, Director National Commission for Gender and Development, Mr. Richard Nasong`o, GDDC Congress-Convener and Performance Contracting System Evangelist; Prof. Koi Tirima, Director of Research, Development & Policy (African Nazarene University); Eng. Musau, Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Water InstituteKEWI; Colleagues; Distinguished participants; Ladies and gentlemen: I am pleased to convey greetings from the National Council for Persons with Disabilities to this May gathering. The NCPWD is very happy to be part of this Gender and Disability Mainstreaming Congress. The National Council for Persons with Disabilities is a Semi-Autonomous Government Agency (SAGA) whose parent Ministry is the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development. In June 2004, the PWDs Act. No. 14 of 2003 came into force through a gazette notice. In May 2008, the UN convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was ratified by the Kenyan Government and it is now being domesticated for implementation. In addition, we have come up with the Kenya National Plan of Action on the African Decade of PWDs. In August 2010 the constitution was promulgated and the inclusion of Disability Mainstreaming indicator in the Performance Contracting guidelines is indeed great in the history of the Kenyan Disability movement. Disability Mainstreaming involves, conducting disability awareness trainings/sessions for organization/institution staff and empower staff with disability (if any) Guarantee physical accessibility within the premises and physical facilities for employees and the public Employ persons with disabilities and retain those who acquire disabilities and offer reasonable workplace adjustments. Increase equal and easy access of products and services/programmes to PWDs and outline the same in organization/institution service charter. Institutionalize disability mainstreaming concerns and interventions across operations and organization This Congress will take us a long way in furthering our partnerships and strengthening our bond of working together. For the approximately 10% (WHO estimates) of Kenyans with

disabilities; their exclusion from the mainstream of socialcultural, economic and political development efforts has been permitted for too long. We need to work together more effectively to change this scenario. The new constitution dispensation is a watershed for us to make a difference for persons with disabilities. The Constitution and MDGs Medium Term Plans and our Vision 2030 Blue Print are guiding us, in our efforts to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons with disabilities; it promotes respect for their inherent dignity as human beings. Distinguished participants; NCPWD is championing the welfare of PWD throughout the country through its mandate as stated in the Disabilities Act 2003 of which all the sections have been gazetted; the right to work, and participate in all development activities of all people, including those with disabilities, has been actively promoted. NCPWD provides for persons with disabilities to have an opportunity to actively participate in the national development, poverty alleviation and social inclusion. In broader context the council champions welfare of PWDs through the facilitation of the Disability Mainstreaming indicator in the Performance Contracting of state governance. Government and state agencies disability friendly buildings and infrastructures are basic indicators of accommodating PWDs into National Development, leadership and sound governance, In 2005, the World Health Assembly through Resolution 58.23 made a global appeal, urging Member States to increase attention, commitment and actions in the area of disability. These include prevention and management of disability; and rehabilitation of the PWDs; in both physical and psychosocial domains. NCPWD strongly recommends best practices in disability policy formation in organization; this is to facilitate cultural adaptation to include persons with disabilities in Day to Day activities. Curriculums for training champions of disability mainstreaming and auditing, institutional and individual volunteers to lobby and advocate for persons with disabilities is paramount. These guidelines will provide hands-on direction on how development initiatives can work at community level to ensure the rights of PWDs.

Ladies and Gentlemen; The focus of this congress is for us to champion the mainstreaming of Gender and Disability. To achieve inclusive development, these cannot be solely delivered by one ministry or one sector; NCPWD needs multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary actions. Disability coordinators, Disability Mainstreaming committee members and the like representative teams within our organizations must be centrally placed in the process of mainstreaming and implementation. NCPWD will continue to work in partnership with all stakeholders and partners in scaling up disability mainstreaming activities, and thereby contributing to the building up of inclusive communities for people with disabilities. Disability mainstreaming requires participation of a broad range of stakeholders and partners in order to meet the basic needs of PWDs; addresses social and physical determinants that ensure access to broad disability welfare education. No persons, individual or institution can succeed in isolation raising a need of forming a Mainstreaming Network; the network that will promote progressive and steady development of persons with disabilities in Kenya. NCPWD is looking forward to working closely with the network. In order to ensure that people with disabilities and their families can live to the rest of us; all concerned parties must work together in coordination and cooperation to make this vision a reality. This conference is a necessary step to provide an opportunity for practitioners and researchers to chalk out their roles in effecting a paradigm shift. The shift from a charity to a rightsbased approach to disability and the roles that can ensure a prominent place for leadership and good governance that builds up an all inclusive nation. With these words, ladies and gentlemen, I wish the participants of the Congress all the best and all success in their deliberations. Thank you.