African Union of the Deaf on a Fact-Finding Tour to the EAC Headquarters
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 8th December, 2017:
A delegation from the African Union of the Deaf (AUD) and the Africa Disability Alliance (ADA) on Thursday made a fact-finding tour of the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The purpose of the tour was to sensitize the EAC Secretariat on the mandate of AUD and ADA, in addition to learning familiarization about the EAC’s Social policy and disability legislative frameworks.
This corporate institutions awareness was further intended to enlighten AUD and ADA on the process of the Africa Disability Protocol (ADP) in order to seek support for its ratification.
The AUD Delegation was headed by its President, Hon. Alex Ndeezi, who is also a Ugandan MP, while ADA which is based in South Africa, was led by its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Andrew. K. Dube.
Hon. Ndeezi commended the EAC Secretariat and the East African Legislative Assembly for the efforts they have made towards mainstreaming and advocating for issues pertaining to People with Disabilities (PWDs).
Hon. Ndeezi said AUD was looking forward to supporting EAC’s initiatives PWDs at a technical or financial level in the near future and promised further engagements in various fora to push the PWDs mainstreaming agenda both at the regional, continental and international level. Hon. Ndeezi described the EAC as the leading regional bloc in Africa that has implemented a number of advocacy initiatives and policies touching on PWDs.
Receiving the delegation on behalf of the EAC Secretary was the Principal Gender and Community Development Officer, Ms. Generose Minani, assured them that the EAC would work closely with them in advocating for the welfare of PWDs.
Ms. Minani disclosed that EAC Partners States have put in place policies to mainstream disability concerns at both the national and regional level.
“The EAC recognizes the need to empower Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in line the provisions of Article 120(c) of the Treaty that calls upon Partner States to co-operate amongst themselves in the field of social welfare with respect to, among others, the development and adoption of a common approach towards disadvantaged and marginalized groups, including children, the youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities through rehabilitation and provision of, among others, foster homes, healthcare, education and training,” she said.
“Other milestones that have been realized within the PWDs docket include the EAC Policy on PWDs which was adopted in March 2012. The policy is a yardstick to inform other policies, programmes and sectoral plans among the EAC Partner States. The EAC policy on PWDs therefore aims at the provision of an enabling environment by Partner States for the empowerment of PWDs to facilitate their effective participation in and their eventual benefit from development initiatives,” added Ms. Minani.
NOTE TO EDITORS
The African Union of the Deaf (AUD) is a continental organization, which was established to serve as an umbrella organization of the Deaf on the African Continent. Deaf African activists who attended the African Disability Consultative Workshop in South Africa in 2003 founded AUD.
AUD works with regional and international organizations like the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), the Africa Disability Forum (ADF) and ADA as cooperating partners to address deafness and disability rights issues continentally and internationally. Through this effective partnership with Continental Disability Peoples Organizations, AUD works with the AU in which it is seeking observer status as well as consultative status within AU appointed bodies and agencies concerned with disability issues.
AUD advocates for the interests of member organizations on the African continent. The first Constitution was approved in Tanzania on 10 May 2014. AUD has been legally registered in Uganda and currently hosted by Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD) in Kiwanga-Mukono. Its mission is to strive for equality, empowerment and full participation in society of Deaf people in the continent of Africa.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The EAC Secretariat is ISO 2008:9001 Certified