Editorial

EDITORIAL

Disability must never define a person’s worth

Disability must never be mistaken for the end of a life. Neither should it become an excuse for society to deny anyone education, employment, friendship or the freedom to dream.

The East African Community Legislator Dr David Ole Sankok’s recent encounter with Nalopa Primary pupils in Arusha offers a reminder that limitations do not erase intelligence, ambition or leadership. Yet the lesson extends beyond one individual’s achievements: every person deserves dignity, regardless of what they accomplish.

Nobody chooses the circumstances of their birth. Illness, injury or an accident can also alter anyone’s physical abilities. Disability is neither a moral failing nor a licence for others to humiliate, exclude or patronise.

Respect must therefore begin at home and in the classroom. Children should learn to welcome classmates with disabilities, challenge insulting language and understand that assistance should support independence, never undermine it.

Our legal commitments reinforce this obligation. Tanzania’s Persons with Disabilities Act, 2010, provides for accessibility, education, healthcare and employment, alongside protection of basic rights. These commitments must be reflected in everyday decisions, institutional budgets and public services.

Regionally, EALA passed the East African Community Persons with Disability Bill, 2015, in June 2016, seeking a comprehensive framework for protecting rights and dignity. Its emphasis on education, rehabilitation and equal opportunities expresses a principle that deserves practical action across East Africa.

However, legislation and speeches achieve little when classrooms remain inaccessible, employers dismiss qualified applicants or public transport excludes passengers with limited mobility. Inclusion requires accessible buildings, suitable learning materials, fair recruitment and meaningful participation in decisions.

Families must also resist hiding children with disabilities or lowering their expectations. Communities should listen to persons with disabilities themselves, recognising their authority over their own lives.

Dr Sankok’s journey should encourage ambition but nobody should need to become a doctor or legislator to earn respect. The child requiring support possesses the same inherent worth as the public figure.

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