People living with disabilities at the Coast have appealed to the Coast county governments to involve them in running county matters.
Through their Chair Khamisa Maalim Zajja, they said that most of the Coastal counties have discriminated against persons living with disabilities which should not be the case.
Khamisa said that physically challenged people have the equally important contribution to the growth of the county and should not at any time be discriminated.
Speaking at a forum in Mombasa on Sunday, Khamisa said that person living with disabilities have acquired enough education and have relevant and required skills to work and ensure Coast counties economically grow.
She appealed to the coastal government to always ensure that persons living with disabilities are fully recognised and their contributions valued so that they also participate in running county government issues.
She also challenged the count governments at the Coast to ensure the person with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups benefit from the 30 percent government tenders so that they initiate business projects.
She said the plights of physically challenged were caused by lack of any source of income.
“How does it feel when you see a blind person standing at the scorching sun at along Mombasa busy roads asking for help from passersby and motorists? It pains me,” she said.
Zajja said that proper programmes should be initiated so as to alleviate the sufferings person with disabilities goes through at the Coast.
Meanwhile, Zajja has appealed to families with children living with disabilities not to hide them but instead seek help and ensure the children are enrolled in special schools.
“Some of our parents are term physically challenged children as a bad omen, it should not be the case they should seek help from us and we will ensure the children are brought up in the right human way,” she added.