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For most delegates, the second African Union International Conference on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, held at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, 29-31 October, was a normal event with the usual rush to attend a session.
But for Ms. Ralpher Mwenesi, reproductive health coordinator for Kakamega County, and one of the speakers at the conference, the experience was anything but pleasant.
The first time we saw her, she was tied on a wheelchair and taken by a group of four men to a staircase, which attracted a lot of attention from the audience. She was leaving the pavilion room after attending the pre-conference on Sunday, October 28th. The room had neither elevator nor ramp.
At one point on the way, the men carrying Ms. Mwenesi stopped half-way to catch their breath, a clear sign of the Herculean task they were engaged in.
There are more than 1.3 million people with disabilities in Kenya. Section 23 of the Disability Act, 2003, passed in December 2009, guarantees unhindered access to buildings and also obliges all stakeholders in the construction sector to make this possible.
The section states that "All public buildings must be accessible to people with disabilities". The same section also granted building owners a grace period of up to five years to renovate their buildings to ensure compliance.
However, four years after the expiration of the grace period, it appears that a majority of buildings are not yet fully compliant with this directive and that, when it appears that something has been done, this is done in a haphazard way.
For example, outside the conference rooms, Ms. Mwenesi still needed more assistance. Despite the availability of ramps on the Safari Park, she needed two things: to be pushed on the ramp and secured on the wheelchair to avoid tipping, thanks to the steep slope of the ramps.
"The ramps are too steep, risking falling and being carried away by a staircase is not a very dignified way to treat a disabled person," she lamented.
All the experience, she says, makes her less independent and more at the mercy of Safari Park staff when it comes to accessing different rooms where the proceedings of the Safari Park take place. conference.
"I went to Safari Park three times, twice with a disability, after falling ill with an illness that affected my ability to walk. The only thing that has changed between now and the first time I arrived here, is that the staff is more willing to help, "Ms. Mwenesi said.
She said DN2 that she had already spent three days at the hotel during her previous visit and that the hotel management only provided her with a wheelchair, but no one could push her. Despite the concerns expressed by the marketing manager, nothing has changed.
When we spoke to her on the sidelines of the conference, Ms. Mwenesi also lamented the lack of accessible toilets at the hotel.
"At the moment, Safari Park should have had a fully automated wheelchair. In addition, it is unfortunate that they do not have toilets for people with disabilities, "she said, adding that the problem with normal toilets is that they are prone to heavy traffic and that people are at risk. to pour water on the ground. risk of accidental falls. "In addition, it is less hygienic, because a disabled person using all four members is required to pick up infections in the toilet," she noted.
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