‘Play the Full Deck’ campaign urges employers to embrace on-job inclusion

When 32-year-old Frederic Ntihemuka Murigo lost one of his legs in a car accident at age 12, he had little idea that the stigma surrounding disability would linger long after his physical recovery. ALSO READ: Zero Discrimination Day: Addressing gaps in inclusion for people with disability An Information Technology graduate, Murigo completed university in 2019 and set out to compete for opportunities like any other young professional. The reality, he says, was far more challenging. “During interviews, you could feel how they downplayed you,” he recalled. “No one would say it outright, but feedback never came, even when you knew you had performed well.” Without a job, he explained, “life becomes far more difficult than for others. You need more support to move, to live, to feel independent.” ALSO READ: Faith, technology, and rights: Building inclusive communities for persons with disabilities in Rwanda Today, Murigo works in networking at MTN Rwanda, where he is recognised for his skills rather than his disability. “I’m not the first employee with a disability here,” he said. “That alone proves we can perform like anyone else. If we could not, they would not keep hiring us.” He added that many people with disabilities often bring heightened focus. “We have fewer distractions. When we are at work, we work until it’s done.” Yet he still encounters misplaced empathy. “Some colleagues avoid giving you certain assignments because they think you cannot manage. It communicates the belief that we are not like others,” he said. Murigo’s experience reflects both progress and persistent gaps, issues central to the Play the Full Deck campaign, launched by the National Union of Disability Organisations in Rwanda (NUDOR) under the regional We Can Work programme, implemented in partnership with Light for the World and funded by the Mastercard Foundation. Despite these obstacles, his determination to pursue employment represents what NUDOR defines as an act of “Show Your Card,” demonstrating the abilities and potential of young persons with disabilities when given equitable opportunities. The concept reflects young persons with disabilities actively demonstrating their abilities, stepping forward for opportunities, and challenging the structural and attitudinal barriers that limit their inclusion in the labour market. ALSO READ: What is being done to improve access to inclusive education? Rooted in the metaphor of a deck of cards, the campaign illustrates that every individual brings unique strengths to a workplace team. Youth with disabilities often represent “special edition cards” whose talents remain underutilised due to inaccessible recruitment systems, stigma, and lack of employer preparation. Through ShowYourCard, young people with disabilities are encouraged to demonstrate their capabilities, while employers, referred to in the campaign as “Mentor Cards”, are urged to support, hire, and meaningfully include them. Among the young Rwandans demonstrating their “card” is Izere Emmanuel, a person with visual disability and a beneficiary of the We Can Work programme. Reflecting on his journey, he said he lost multiple job opportunities after being openly told the roles would be “too challenging” for someone with his impairment. “There is a need for improving accessibility at workplaces. Screen readers and system websites are still not accessible for people with visual impairment. Many companies have not yet embraced the change,” he said. “Everybody can raise their cards and make the cards complementary,” he said. “Depending on the barriers in our way to inclusion and inclusive employment, everyone has a role. Every card has its purpose and then we win. People with disabilities are diverse, and our capabilities should also be recognised.” ALSO READ: Shortage of trained teachers, stigma hinder inclusive education in Rwanda Now serving as Inclusive Employment Advisor at NUDOR, Izere advocates for stronger accountability mechanisms. “There should be intentional monitoring of how disability policies are implemented. And companies that employ people with disabilities should receive incentives to support additional requirements needed for accessibility at work. We should also have a clear percentage of employees with disabilities required in companies,” he said. For 29-year-old Alice Uwizeye, now working at Bank of Kigali, the biggest barrier she faced was internal. “Missing my right leg used to make me feel uncomfortable,” she said. “I thought people would laugh at me or avoid sitting near me.” In the beginning, colleagues were overly empathetic, often stepping in unnecessarily. With time, she shifted perceptions by consistently demonstrating her full capacity. “I kept showing them that I can do anything like everyone else. Now I feel fully part of the team. I deliver quality work, I move freely, and people appreciate my results. That has built my confidence.” Uwizeye believes inclusion begins with self-belief. “People with disabilities should not exclude themselves when job searching. Knock on every door. Confidence must begin with you,” she said. She also urged employers to “change their mindset, engage us, and hire us. We went to the same schools and have the same skills.” ALSO READ: Inclusive education: non-physical disabilities still a pressing challenge – officials NUDOR’s Disability Inclusion Advisor, Jean Baptiste Murema, said the campaign comes at a critical moment, especially with Rwanda’s 2022 national statistics indicating 391,775 people with disabilities across the country. “People still assume persons with disabilities are naturally incapable,” he said. “There is limited information, ongoing discrimination and an internalised lack of confidence among some youth with disabilities.” Recruitment processes, he said, remain inaccessible, physical and digital environments pose barriers, and policies lack robust enforcement. “Many countries have good policies, but implementation is the challenge,” he said, noting that women face “double discrimination, first as women, then as women with disabilities.” ALSO READ: Disability advocacy group backs bill on contraception for 15-year-olds One of the employers demonstrating a “Mentor Card” is Alain Numa, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at MTN Rwanda. For him, change began with recognising how much untapped talent the company was overlooking. “Before working closely with people with disabilities, I underestimated them,” he admitted. “I did not imagine they could be part of this professional journey. Then I met people with visual impairment or little persons holding master’s degrees and being best performers. I realised we had not done what was needed to include everyone.” MTN has since hired graduates with disabilities through its global trainee programme, increased accessibility at service centres, trained front-line staff in sign language, and ensured employees with disabilities participate fully in all workplace activities. “Their performance is excellent,” Numa said. “Some even outperform colleagues without disabilities because they concentrate deeply and go the extra mile.” ALSO READ: Equity for all: Championing disability inclusion in healthcare He believes the remaining challenge for employers is not reluctance but lack of awareness. “People do not know,” he said. “We need more advocacy, more understanding of the realities people with disabilities face and their capability.” His message to the employers is direct, “Open your doors. Give them internship spaces. Encourage them to apply. Once they are in your institution, you will see what they are capable of.” Discover your unique card and how you can contribute to a more inclusive ecosystem by taking the Play the Full Deck campaign quiz. The interactive tool helps you identify your strengths, understand your potential impact, and explore practical ways to support disability inclusion in workplaces and communities.

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‘Play the Full Deck’ campaign urges employers to embrace on-job inclusion