By Lenah Bosibori
Nairobi, Kenya: Organizations representing People Living with Disability-PLWD in Kenya have called on the government to increase their social protection and retention in workplaces during this pandemic period.
Speaking recently, the organizations, including United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK), Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK), and Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network (EDAN) aired their concerns that persons with disabilities are increasingly facing the risk of losing jobs, incomes, and livelihoods due to the pandemic.
“The government should make sure that measures and interventions made to control the spread of the virus are adapted for persons with disabilities. This should be replicated in contexts where ongoing support is needed for persons with disabilities to live safely and independently,” said Anderson Gitonga, the UDPK’s executive director.
He adds that already, some of the persons with disabilities have missed employment opportunities, while others have had their employment terminated, as companies and organizations re-organize to adapt to changes related to the pandemic. Those in self-employment are also hard hit as opportunities and customers decrease.
“While COVID-19 responses are not inclusive to persons with disabilities, restrictions of movements and lockdowns in various parts of the country have deprived persons with disabilities of their support systems and interfered with their access to essential services, including medical services,” says Benson Kiptum, the acting Chief Executive Officer, APDK.
Kiptum adds that while the COVID-19 pandemic has required people to work from home or remotely, this has proved difficult for persons with disabilities since their houses do not have the same support equipment and systems equal to those available in the workplaces.
“COVID-19 measures are indirectly affecting persons with disabilities. They are preventing families and breadwinners in households from working. This is negatively impacting the overall income of their households,” he says
“This current disruption in income represents an increased burden for persons with disabilities and their households. Traditionally, households typically face extra costs and expenditures related to disability. This is pulling many of them more rapidly into poverty,” adds Kiptum.
According to Angeline Okola program coordinator EDAN, the unemployment rate among persons with disabilities in Kenya is higher than the non-disabled, while those privileged to be in employment tend to be underpaid or have fewer opportunities for upward mobility in their places of work,
“In our experience, there exists a knowledge gap on mitigations to promote employment and or retention of employees with disabilities in the private and public sector,” says Okola.
“A scientific study on the employment of persons with disabilities is needed to enable the decision-makers to make informed decisions as well as policy direction on the employment and retentions of persons with disabilities at the workplace.”
