Social
Ordeals of Persons
With Disabilities in the 21st century Cameroon
 |
| Child living with disabilities(CBCHS) |
I was taken aback on August 4, 2018 by an emotional
letter addressed to Mimi Mefo Info by a group of visually impaired students
voicing challenges they faced during the last public exam organized by Cameroon
General Certificate of Education (GCE) Board for 2017/2018 academic year in
Cameroon.
According to the students, they were discriminated
upon and had to sit many papers different from those of their ‘sighted’ peers.
“This accounted for our failure at this year’s GCE exam” They lament, they
claim that the GCE scripts for the visually impaired candidates for the
2017/2018 session were marked using the wrong marking guides for questions
earlier changed; given that the communique annulling ‘A/Level’ Literature Paper 3, calling
for repeat session on a certain Monday did not include brailled questions for
candidates with visual impairments.
The visually impaired candidates answered present in
their respective Centers and had no question sheets. These candidates indicated
to the Chiefs of Centre who in turn informed the GCE board headquarters in Buea,
but the board passed an order to let go the visually impaired candidates.
This brings to mine the many untold sufferings Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)
are faced with due to their physical challenge.
Ngeh Gerard Kuh, a classmate dropped out of school in
Form Five due a debilitating eye disease. It affected his sight to level where he
could not see the writings on the chalk black board. His love for literacy came
to a halt because there were no facilities to accommodate him with the condition.
In the Fifth Form in secondary school, his ambitions of grasping the GCE
Ordinary Level certificate were dashed out because there was no centre where he
could sit his exams. Gerald’s efforts to implore the GCE board to look into his
condition were futile.
The principal of my school told him of an available
centre for the visually impaired in Kumbo, out of my Division; Boyo, which was
far off. Unfortunately for Gerald, not from a well to do family, he could not
afford to go to such a specialized centre and also considering that he was
notified late. It was rather an illogical end to his education due a condition
he didn’t make a request to have.
Recently, I followed the Social Inclusion Advocate and
Journalist, Comfort Mussa looking for a restaurant in Yaoundé where someone
using a wheel chair could enter with ease. Sadly, a friend advised her to think
of going into that business because they sought for such an arena before in the
whole of the capital city of Cameroon to no avail.
Then, my friend, Shanceline Nanze, Journalist, had a
bitter experience as a student; with mobility impairment in the school that had
no program for those with special needs. We had an appointment on the campus at
Advanced school of Mass communication (ASMAC).
I sent her a text message to meet me in the school
library. It had slipped off my mind that Shanseline uses crouches and the
library was “strategically” found upstairs. I felt bad when her reply came as
follows; “Cal, meet me downstairs narrr child of God... You know I can’t make
it up to that your library.” That was her situation.
These repeated stories daily leave one to wonder where
we are heading to and what future Cameroon has for persons with disabilities
(PWDs). The visually impaired have no schools as those with sight, same the
deaf and those with mobility impairments.
In the 21st
century, these citizens are still relegated to the background in nearly all
areas of public life. Come to think of our hospitals, churches, schools, and other
structures which are not accessible, thus, making it hard for them to live a
decent lifestyle. In the world where technology has made life easy for all you
will see a man on a wheel chair carried down the stairs of a bank, supermarket
or a public office. When are we going to start seeing recruitment adverts
without the phrase, “be physically fit”? or is there a job a person with a
physical challenge cannot do? Does disability mean inability?
Conversely, we will not close an eye to what government, individuals and associations are already doing to change the status quo in this
age. Cameroon Government on her part has not been silent. In a Ministerial Order by the Minister of Social Affairs, order N° 002 on April 7, 2015 specifying the conditions and technical modalities to exercise competences transfered by state to councils as concerns social reinsertion. Under general provisions of the Order in chapter 1, article 2 and point 6 on rehabilitation Centres for PWDs. It spells out that centres be put in place to ensure their functional re-education, re-adaptation for the harmonious socio professional re-insertion of PWDs. Here, much is being said and done in the area of training of
teachers in inclusive teaching-learning process of young Cameroonians of both
groups and conditions though many may argue it is still on paper and that
little ground work has been done. Also, the Cameroon Baptist Convention through
its programs has pumped in money and other resources to bring these groups of
people to the lime light through the SEEPD (Socio- economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities) that
focuses on the well-being of persons with disabilities (PWD) in Cameroon. It
ensures that they are socially and economically empowered and are capable of
exploiting their full potential in mainstream settings.
Individual social advocates too have been indispensable
to enable the penetration of the message of social inclusion in every sector
they exercise in. Another group that has done well is the transport network
within the University of Yaoundé I through the Bolloré Transport and Logistics Group. Their buses have
special treatment for students with disabilities and even the manufacturer had
needs of PWDs in mind such as the use of wheel chairs inside the bus.
With all these said and hopes increased, one only hopes someone somewhere starts thinking, speaking and acting inclusion. Then, and only then, we shall be set on the path to development and emergence because everyone has a special and unique contribution in our development drive.
Awoh Caleb Ndazua (ACN) in Yaoundé-Cameroon
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