Crystal Asige Encourages People With Disabilities To Take On ICT Opportunities: "Chances Not Pity"

• Nominated ODM senator Crystal Asige has said there is a need for inclusivity and leadership opportunities for people living with disability
• She called on the marginalised group to not only take leadership chances but also take up digital opportunities as they spearheaded her entry to the Senate
• Her remarks were echoed by Irene Kirika on the need for inclusivity among youths living with disability in the country

Nominated senator Crystal Asige has said there is a need for more disability inclusion champions, including political leaders, to influence policy and decisions.

According to Asige, her efforts in championing inclusivity landed her as a nominated senator, which she earned and not given.

Why Crystal Asige calls for inclusivity and different reporting

In an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke after presiding over the Inclusive Africa Conference 2024 in Nairobi, she called on the media to change the narrative of how they report disability stories to offer opportunities for differently abled people.

"We are one step forward in terms of inclusion, as I have been able to embed and anchor the ICT KEBS standards that launched in 2022 in my role as a Senator," Asige said.

Irene Mbari-Kirika, the Executive Director of inABLE, stressed the need to invest in youth with disabilities to unlock the future of inclusion.

"We aspire to a future where disability inclusion will be seamless. Where digital accessibility will be part of the basic service delivery without the need for special considerations,” she added.

While calling for equal opportunities for all, Kirika stressed that people with disabilities are not looking for pity but a fair chance.

"People with disabilities are looking for equal opportunities and a fair chance to independently participate in everyday life, including access to education and employment opportunities," Kirika said.

Why does Asige disagree on disability and hawking

In November 2023, Asige led an emotional protest against the Nairobi County government for its decision to classify them as hawkers and kick them out of the Central Business District.

Governor Johnson Sakaja had given a notice to all hawkers to stop selling in some places in the CBD, and the city askaris started implementing the advisory.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke