People with disabilities and the elderly are receiving support to register for the new digital national ID, ensuring that no one is left behind. Those who can’t reach registration sites can be registered from home, according to officials. ALSO READ: What to know about digital ID for foreign nationals “We held meetings with the National Identification Agency (NIDA) technical team to discuss how people with disabilities can be assisted in registering for the digital national ID. We are working with local authorities to identify those who cannot reach registration sites. “Once identified, NIDA’s technical team can register them from their homes,” said Emile Vuningabo, the head of programmes at the National Union of Disability Organizations of Rwanda (NUDOR). ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s switch to a biometric digital ID For people with hearing impairment, communication can be difficult if NIDA staff cannot use sign language, Vuningabo noted. “To address this, we are ensuring that at least one person at each registration site can provide sign language interpretation. NIDA has also set up registration centers in areas accessible to people with disabilities,” he added. NIDA, in collaboration with the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) and local government entities, conducts outreach and establishes registration sites at the centres of organizations of persons with disabilities. According to Raymond Bakundukize, a supervisor for digital ID enrolment activities at NIDA, applicants are not excluded if they are unable to provide certain biometric data. For example, people who cannot submit fingerprints or other biometrics due to a disability are still eligible to register. “For the new digital ID processes, if an applicant cannot undergo certain biometric captures, such as fingerprint or iris scans, the system accepts the data they can provide and still proceeds with registration,” Bakundukize explained.
