Salvador Ndayisaba, 49, one of the 10 candidates in contesting to represent people with disabilities in Parliament has vowed to influence the Lower Chamber to review the laws that exclude people living with disabilities, once elected. In an exclusive interview with The New Times he said; “Once I am elected, I will contribute to formulating laws that support people with disabilities such as establishment of special schools, for instance, having particular schools for visual or auditory impairments. We find it unfair to mix students with disability with ordinary ones.” Ndayisaba, who holds a bachelor’s degree in law, said he would also influence other legislators to eliminate taxes for people with disabilities. “We know that disability is not inability…but due to disabilities, some of our peers do not earn a decent income. Government has to think about this issue (of taxes)”. The National Council for People with Disabilities (NCPD) wants its representative to-be to take into account three main concerns. According to Emmanuel Ndayisaba, the Executive Secretary of NCPD, their representative in parliament should always be vigilant on enactment of laws. “What I want our representative to do is to always be watchful while enacting laws in order to cater for our interests, not sitting in parliament and agree on everything other parliamentarians are saying,” he said. He cited an example of retirement law, where someone with disability should be permitted to retire early, on medical recommendation. “Some laws are now favouring us; I can name the construction rules in public buildings where the place reserved for PWDs is obligatory,” he added PWDs are represented by one person in the Lower Chamber of Parliament. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
