VTCs STUDENTS BENEFITTED A TRAINING ON DISABILITY AND RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

From 22 October to19 November 2012, pupils from 20Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) benefitted training on “Disability and Rights’’. In all these centers, 517 students (395 male and 122 female) presented various disabilities.

The overall objective of this training is to raise school community awareness on issues that affecting Persons with Disabilities and to identify through Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) the real needs of trainees with disabilities and see how to advocate accordingly for their rights.

The Vocational training centres identified and that received training were NYANZA VTC, KIYONZA VTC, RWABUYE VTC, MIZERO VTC, , TYAZO VTC,  KARENGERA VTC,  ETEFOP, GISENYI VTC, KIBIHEKANE VTC, JANJA VTC, KIBALI VTC, NGARAMA VTC, GAKONI VTC,  AMIZERO VTC,  RUBONA VTC, RUBENGERA VTC, KINAZI VTC, MPANDA VTC , RUHUHA      VTC and  GACULIRO VTC.

During session, NCPD staff met authorities, teachers and pupils of VTCS identified. They were trained on NCPD mission, values and organs, Laws and Ministerial Orders protecting rights of persons with   disabilities in Rwanda, U N Conventions on rights of persons with disabilities.

 

What have been remarkable was that pupils with disabilities face many problems such as: 

·         Teachers and head of VTCS do not have enough knowledge and skills to the rights of persons with disabilities;

·         Some students do not have prosthesis and orthosis to facilitate them in their daily activities;

·         Most of teachers do not have knowledge  in sign language to communicate with pupils with hearing impairment;

·         Insufficient sport equipment in terms of promoting sport and leisure;

·         Many VTCs need support of sport equipments and other materials for promoting sport and leisure of persons with disabilities;

·         Some buildings are not accessible for pupils with disabilities;

From this training, some recommendations have been formulated:

To NCPD:

- NCPD should provide enough training on disability and rights in all sectors from national to base level.

 - NCPD should create a warranty fund for supporting and promoting persons with disabilities in terms of abolishing begging culture.

To WDA:

- WDA must have a close collaboration with NCPD in terms of promoting persons with disabilities in TVET and encourages managers of centres to implement a barrier free program in their centres and accomplish TVET program by Cooperatives management program

To MINISANTE:

MINISANTE must implement the categorisation program and that issue will help persons with disabilities to benefit rights to health, education, prosthesis and devices,

Posted by Nyirabugenimana Sylvie

            Disability Friendly Communication Officer/NCPD