Disability - fighting back!

Disability in Ethiopia is highly discriminated against with little understanding as to the underlying causes and some still believing it to be a curse from God. The situation has been perpetuated by a lack of integration between those with disabilities and their able-bodied peers meaning that the taboo has remained.

Day two (09/10/2007) saw us visit two of our partner projects who are committed to change in this area, by enabling access to mainstream education for those with disabilities and promoting integration.

In the morning we visited a vocational college where young people with disabilities are being given new skills through which they can go onto generate their own sustainable incomes. Subjects include electronics, IT, woodwork, metal work, sewing and leather work. Many of the students go on to run their own businesses and are helped with start up capital provided by the project. Others go into work placements in established businesses which the project helps to organize. We visited one ex-student who is profoundly deaf - she now works making traditional Ethiopian dress in a local tailoring firm and very much enjoying putting her news skills into practice.

In the afternoon, we visited Addis Ababa University. Some years ago, Ethiopiaid provided funds to network the University with a new IT system, with particular attention paid to ensuring access was made available to students with disabilities. There is now a dedicated computer laboratory with specialist equipment for this purpose on the university campus. We met with a partially sighted student who is now undertaking a second degree in Social Work having completed her first degree in Law. She is working closely with the University president to campaign on the rights of those with disabilities which is an area the university is fully committed to. Plans are currently underway to modernise all campus buildings to ensure accessibility for all – it is hoped that this will act as an example to other higher education institutes in Ethiopia.