Some among visually impaired who completed their studies have requested the government for assistance to acquire computers to help them get jobs. Severin Ingabire, is a graduate of the former Kigali Institute of Education but is unemployed since he graduated in 2012. He told The New Times that having access to personal computers would reduce unemployment among the blind because it would boost their confidence to convince employers that they are capable of working. “We were 27 blind people when I graduated, but only five of us currently have jobs. Once I applied for a job in a company that was looking for brilliant people, but I was surprised to find out that my application had been rejected without any reason. On top of that, they asked me to bring my own computer,” he said. Ingabire said that it is not easy for blind people to find jobs because many people don’t realise they can handle professional works. “Many employers feel that it would be a problem if they hire me because of transportation and other special facilities I need. No company would hire me simply because of my disability and I am worried about my colleagues who are still on the streets begging,” he said. According to Peter Nyankiko, a physical therapist in Kigali, the universities where blind students go should ensure that they get the equipment they need in order to start working once out of school. Donatille Kanimba, Executive Director of the Rwanda Union for the Blind, called upon the government to help the blind acquire laptops and softwares that help them to translate into audible voices what is written on internet websites. “The National Council of Persons with Disabilities needs to do more to help the blind, especially those living in rural areas across the country,” she said. She condemned some situations whereby people with disabilities are asked to compete for the same jobs with normal people without considering their disabilities.
