Persons with a stammer shoot straight as the rest

When Lt-Gen Jonah Mwangi, the Vice-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) was asked, on a local TV show, why the military does not recruit people who stammer, there was momentary laughter, after which he explained that besides the process being competitive, stammering implies that the person may not be a good communicator and that the career requires very good communication.

Just like that, the dream of many a person with a stammer to join the forces were cut short. They are not valid!

It is a scenario that far too many persons with disabilities have experienced in their search for work. Disability-based discrimination assumes that persons with disabilities cannot work in an open labour market on an equal basis with those without disabilities.

Unfortunately, this discrimination is justified time and time again. As a result, many persons with disabilities lose the confidence to push further in their job searches.

Consequently, many are pushed into involuntarily joining the informal sector with a resultant lack of protection from exploitation. There is so much focus on someone’s impairment and a prevailing approach around incapacity.

On the downside, there is less focus on what should be done to eliminate barriers, especially the stereotypes around disability and stigma that prevent persons with disabilities from being able to attain work on an equal basis with others.

For a person with a stammer, for example, who wishes to join the forces, it is important to think about ways to support them, before turning them away.

By making light of persons with a stammer who wish to join the forces and concluding that they cannot perform, without searching for a solution as well as any forms of support, this is discriminatory.

The focus cannot only be on the person’s ability to speak ‘in a normal manner’ and completely disregard other skills they have to perform in different departments within the forces. To completely deny all persons with a stammer a chance to be in any department within the armed forces is discriminatory.

This is not to say that a criterion to perform a job is thrown out of the window. This is a process that applies to the whole population. Work demands staff who can perform tasks, have certain skills with the available resources.

This also has to be contextualised within the broader context of the mandate of the government to protect the rights of persons with disabilities to work.

When talking about barriers faced, there has to be focus on appropriate supports that should be offered to persons with disabilities to protect their right to work and employment. Laws that provide for non-discrimination in public service must be seen to work!

Indeed, according to the International Labour Organisation, persons with disabilities are only half as likely to be employed as those without.

Some main factors listed that would make it easier for persons with disabilities to find a job include the availability of workplaces that accommodate their needs as well as assistance with the allocation of suitable jobs.

The Constitution spells out some national values and principles of governance that include human dignity, equity, social justice, inclusiveness, equality, human rights, non-discrimination and protection of the marginalised. As such, it is critical that disability-based discrimination is called out for what it is.

Discrimination cannot be laughed off casually. Criteria to apply for jobs must remain neutral and devoid of language that promotes disability-based discrimination. Intentionally blocking out specific segments of our population from attaining their right to work and employment must be challenged by all.

- Ms Ombati is a disability rights advocate with the African Disability Forum. [email protected]