The National Council for People Living with Disability (NCPWD) has rolled out a weeklong mass registration outreach for People living With Disability (PWD) in Nandi County that encompasses a comprehensive program aimed at enhancing their wellbeing.
The outreach for specified areas in Nandi East and Tindiret Sub Counties offered essential services to the residents ranging from disability medical assessment for e-citizen registration, assessment for assistive devices, therapy provision as well as creating awareness.
Speaking at Chepkunyuk ward in Nandi East Sub County on day one of the exercise, NCPWD national chair Elizabeth Chesang divulged that the council offers a number of benefits to the differently abled persons calling on residents to bring out children with disability noting that those children are entitled to necessary services that will improve their lives for a better tomorrow.
Chesang regretted that even at this era there were parents and caregivers who still hid the differently abled children calling on them to come out and ensure such children benefit from various services that will ensure they even access their learning institutions just like other children.
“Today we have started a weeklong mass registration for specified areas in Nandi County. The turnout has been good and we have managed to register 41 PWDs for NCPWD certificates today. The council offers various support among them scholarships and assistive devices to special needs children that parents and caregivers should take advantage of,” divulged the NCPWD national chair.
Nandi County disability officer Rose Simiyu noted that for a PWDs to benefit from various services as well as utilize various opportunities offered by the council special needs persons should acquire NCPWD certificate noting that the requirements for registration include; a medical assessment report, National Identity card for those who have attained 18 years and a birth certificate for children below 18 years.
Simiyu encouraged parents and caregivers to form groups and register with the social services office noting that this makes it easy for relevant departments to access them whenever they want to offer support.
“Today we are doing registration for those who are yet to register with the NCPWD, giving diapers epileptic and cerebral paralyses children, offering therapy services as well as assessment for assistive devices,” pointed Simiyu adding that NCPWD registration has a number of benefits including tax exemption for those working, business persons as well as when importing a vehicle for mobility purposes.
She further noted that there were parents and caregivers who had PWDs without birth certificates and Identity cards urging them to ensure they acquire those essential documents to be able to register them with NCPWD thus access benefits.
Vivian Ng’etich Nandi County coordinator liaison office for PWDs observed that parents with children with disability experience a number of challenges calling on administrators and residents to play part in sensitizing and supporting them to ensure they access various services entitled for those special groups.
“It is unfortunate that in this era some parents still hide children with physical and intellectual challenges. Such children just like other children have rights and they should not be denied their rights,” said Ng’etich lauding NCPWD for their support.
The NCPWD team will be conducting the exercise on Tuesday and Wednesday at Ol’lessos (Assistant County Commissioner’s office) and Kapchorwa (kapkoros dispensary) wards consecutively in Nandi Hills constituency while on Thursday the exercise is scheduled to take place at Sitek Health Centre in Tindiret ward finalizing on Friday at Chemase Health Centre in Chemelil/Chemase ward.
By Ruth Mainye
