In 2018, Steven Nkubito, put together his academic papers and other requirements for a job offer from a public institution.
The job consisted of conducting a health survey in rural areas, and, despite moving in a wheelchair, Nkubito had to sit the same simulation exam with his teammates, but he had a formula.
“Whenever we are required to move to a place where we need someone to push us, we find a personal assistant. Elsewhere, when the place does not require many movements, a teammate can just volunteer to push us a bit,” Nkubito said.
“I definitely won the test and started celebrating because I was looking forward to a brighter future as any employee.”
Little did Nkubito know, that despite having walked extra miles to show that disability is not inability, his employer too, needed to overcome prejudices.
Steven Nkubito anhd a personal assistant who is talking to a third party
At first they didn’t know the kind of person that was Nkubito, but when time came to sign the contract, the staff in charge did not hesitate to dismiss him.
“To my surprise the staff told me: I am sorry, we don’t employ persons with disability here,” Nkubito recalls.
He chilled, waited for another chance, but it also came with a different shock.
“In another institution, I won the exam and riding to work, I found that the office was at the first floor where you are required to walk upstairs. I presented my concern to the employer who said they couldn’t do anything about it, end of the story,” Nkubito said.
Similar cases that deny the persons with disability chance to follow their heart and have their dream come true are recurrent.
Turyashemererwa(R) speaking to Alain Numa
Jacqueline Turyashemererwa, in charge of ‘We Can Work’, at the National Union of Persons with Disability-NUDOR said that the society still has a long way to go.
We Can Work program makes awareness of the ability of persons with disability to deliver to employers’ expectations.
“The society, is yet to fully understand that persons with disability are normal people who can work and deliver really well. They are not given an opportunity to serve,” Turyashemererwa said.
In terms of skills, this activist said that the society still perceives the persons with disability as people who are void of knowledge even if their disability is but physical.
Like in the case of Nkubito, Turyashemererwa also said, that it is not always obvious for the persons with disability to work, even if they get a chance to be hired.
“Infrastructure is not friendly; the persons with disability do not always find toilets where wheelchairs have access, and that is one case among many.”
Financial institutions, corporate companies not different
Challenges of Persons with disability are not unique to some institutions; they are also a reality amongst financial institutions. While they are supposed to promote access to finance, they also segregate the persons with disability.
Lilian Mukobwankawe
Lilian Mukobwankawe, a sport personality from the National sitting volleyball team and entrepreneur said, that she started business in 2009, but she experienced many shocks from the banks.
“When I started there was a grant for women. My application went through but when time to sign the loan agreement came, they were hesitant to award the grant until I promised that I would bring a guarantor,” she said.
“I made a mistake and brought a guarantor who is also a person with disability. The loan officer was shocked and he said: we already have a concern because you are a person with disability, yet you are giving us a guarantor who has the same problem?”
The bank therefore gave Mukobwankawe very little money than she expected to boost her business. They thought she couldn’t recover the money, but, 15 years down the road, she is a person the banks can trust.
His liquidity is now estimated to Rwf 5 million. “Banks can now give me loans without hesitation,” she said.
According to Turyashemererwa, NUDOR has started training of banks and other corporate companies to show them how they can include the persons with disability in their business.
“Some companies are willing to be inclusive, but they don’t know how they can proceed. We are training staff from many companies to show they how they can be inclusive, because they don’t know,” she said adding that so far 700 staff in companies like BK and MTN Rwanda were trained.
“We are working hard to integrate the persons with disability in business; currently, we are looking at every aspect including access of our services. We also offer some equipment the persons with disability need for their wellbeing,” said Alain Numa, the senior official at MTN Foundation.
