Here is how disabled people in Kenya can make money

What challenges do you face in life? Is there anything that always makes you feel disadvantaged? Do you have a weakness that you just can’t shake off? I bet that is the centrality of living with disability. One starts life at a disadvantage, he/she has to do something extra just to be in the same level.

A quick illustration, how much does it take for you moving from your house to town in the city of Nairobi? What may be effortless for you is probably a nightmare for a person in a wheelchair or another using a white cane. And even as the Government and Non-government organizations seek to implement the laws and make life better, I can’t help but wonder what they are doing in terms of disability sports. I may not have experienced disability but out of living with some of them, I have no doubt that persons with disabilities in Kenya are some of the highly talented and high spirited people lacking an opportunity or getting it piece meal. One of these is poor infrastructure and awareness towards disability sports, something I will try to illuminate in this paper.

 What are disability sports? Disability sports which also known as adaptive sports; are designed to allow persons with disability to have the recreational and social aspects of their lives. They are those sporting activities that are designed specifically for persons with disability such as goal ball (soccer) and foot soul (table tennis) and the tandem (cycling), games designed for the visually impaired. We also have those that have been acquired from the normal sporting realm such as athletics, amputee soccer, sitting volleyball, wheelchair tennis and basketball amongst others. These sports form part of the Special Olympics activity and unlike Kenya; other countries mostly in the West have invested heavily on this.

 What could disability sports do for Kenya? From a social perspective I think that playing a game has a therapeutic effect and has a long way in helping persons with disability see the goodness in life. If they are able to participate in a game they begin to see their worth in life, they yearn for something and feel like part of the society. Moreover, participation in sports reduces the stress levels and helps to do away with depression. Something that is ultimately good for persons living with disability. Disability sports are even more important when looking at it in the view point of children living with disability. Remember, both municipal and international statutes demand that it is a right of children to play, how do we ensure this? By investing in disability sports.

Sports will also reduce the stigma that comes with disability. If the other member sees that a person with disability is able to play and have fun in life, they often stop alienating them and include them as members of the society. Disability sports just like any other sports have a way of opening people’s souls. Interactions begin from that point hence aiding one in living a full life. Hark! Interactions through sports may lead to forging relationships and having families for this people.

The economic side of things is more interesting. It has been a pathetic tradition I must say that persons with disabilities can only beg on the street, be cobbler or tailors at best. Who does this benefit? When a very productive portion of the population is left for the birds because of their circumstances, it does not only look bad on our social structure but also creates a burden for the Government. Sports can indeed be the answer. If structures are set in place, persons with disabilities can play and earn from the games just like able athletes do.  They can attract cooperate sponsors and have a whole industry of disability sports that gives back to the Government in terms of taxes and representation of the Country.

However, the question mark in all these things is always on implementation. As a country we are a powerhouse when it comes to policy and legislation drafting but they sit somewhere gathering a lot of dust. I used to hear of a national wheelchair basketball team, one that unfortunately died a slow and painful death, as they faced challenges such as acquiring the wheelchairs and funds for the team to travel. The National amputee soccer team also faces challenges of neglect by the Government and the sports office. If you go to those who play the sitting volleyball they will tell you a similar story begging the question, what can we do?

 The first thing to consider is awareness. How many people in this country know of disability sports? I think it is important for the sports fraternity to advocate for this. To create awareness of these games. There are a lot of parents with children who have disabilities and they are not aware of this avenue.  Awareness can also be enhanced when we put disability sports in the curriculum especially those tailor made for persons with disability.

Secondly, there is a need to create a structure. This starts from the sports office. Do we have a representation of persons with disability in the sports fraternity? In the Ministry of Sports? If I am not sure but I can guess the answer to this question is a negative. I know persons with disabilities  are few but I have had of proposals that  lean towards building county teams for national championships so that from there we create national teams of persons with disability. These can work best if we in cooperate persons with disabilities with sports backgrounds.  Lastly the question of resources and infrastructure is one we cannot run away from, the Government can even partner with the private sector to ensure that the team are funded and there are enough infrastructures.

 If we do all these we will be using sports to make life better for our brothers and sisters with disabilities.

Today to say, ‘disability is not inability’ is a politically correct cliché. But let me tell you; our level of development will be measured by how we treat our men and women with disability. PLO Lumumba.