Parents have been encouraged to take children with challenges to special schools as they too have talents and could learn various skills.
Speaking to KNA during the launch of the international week of deaf people at Kabunde Hall in Homabay County Monday, the Head of the Department of Special Needs (HDSN) at Sikri Technical and Vocational Training College (STVTC) for the blind Mr. George Bonyo said that days were long gone when people with disabilities were assigned odd jobs with the assumption that they were not able to go to school or perform any work.
He said the one-week celebrations would be advantageous to the community because they will be demonstrating and creating awareness on the various programs and skills that we have for the disabled.
“Under Reverse Integration Programme, people with disabilities can be engaged in various courses and skills. We have courses on mechanical engineering, creative art, social work, hairdressing, computer system, computer training, and computer for the blind among others,” he added.
Speaking during the same occasion, the County Disability Officer Homabay County, Ruth Oyier explained the complexity of the deaf community which she said included children, youth, adults, and senior members of the society.
Oyier explained how the National Council for the Disabled offers education services to the deaf by giving scholarships to the students. “This year, a large percentage of scholarships was given out, and 31 percent of these were issued to the deaf,” she added.
She pointed at a number of schools that have been supported, including Emanuel School for the deaf which received Sh500, 000 to build a water tower adding that the department had also partnered with Safaricom to build a dining hall for Lambwe School for the deaf.
By Mary Malaki
