Limited Mindsets Continue to Be a Major Barrier to the Well-being of Persons with Disabilities – NCPD

Despite the continued establishment of policies and the expansion of support equipment for persons with disabilities in Rwanda, the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) says that negative societal attitudes remain a major cause of serious challenges, including street begging, children with disabilities not attending school, people lacking national identity cards, and others living without basic assistive devices that would enable them to be self-reliant.

This was disclosed on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, during a press briefing held by NCPD to officially launch the National Disability Week, which will run from November 26 to December 3, 2025. The week will culminate in the celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at national level in Nyabihu District.

The Executive Secretary of NCPD, Emmanuel Ndayisaba, said research findings indicate that begging among persons with disabilities is largely driven by negative attitudes and poor mindsets, with some individuals viewing begging as an easy means of survival. He added that this behavior is often reinforced by people who give them money, believing they are helping.

“Many of the people we found begging actually own property and have the capacity to improve their lives, but they choose to ignore those opportunities and instead turn to street begging due to a dependent mindset, treating it as an occupation. Those who give them money believe they are helping, but in reality, they are encouraging a lifestyle without direction,” Ndayisaba said.

He further noted that seeing a person with a physical disability crawling or moving without a wheelchair is a result of negligence rather than lack of support, as the Government and its partners have made sustained efforts to distribute wheelchairs and other assistive devices. In this year alone, 372 wheelchairs and more than 270 other assistive devices will be distributed, with a particular focus on supporting students.

Ndayisaba said NCPD works closely with various institutions, including the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), the National Union of Disability Organisations of Rwanda (NUDOR), World Vision, and Save the Children, to provide these devices. He added that each district is required to have assistive and replacement devices made available through health service delivery points.

On the education front, NCPD highlighted that negative attitudes continue to hinder children with disabilities from accessing education. Preliminary data shows that 17,302 children with disabilities are currently out of school, mainly due to caregivers’ failure to prioritize their education or the lack of nearby special or inclusive schools.

Ndayisaba said NCPD will collaborate with local government authorities and the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) to ensure that all children with disabilities are enrolled in school and removed from isolation and social exclusion.

Another concern raised by NCPD is that more than 34,800 persons with disabilities aged over 18 do not possess national identity cards and are not registered in the civil registry, a situation that denies them access to basic rights and services.

NCPD announced that, in partnership with the National Identification Agency (NIDA), it has launched a registration and photography exercise to address this issue, with the activity being intensified during the National Disability Week.

The Disability Week will feature various discussions on education, employment, health, and social welfare, and will officially conclude on December 3, 2025, in Nyabihu District under the theme: “Promoting an Inclusive Society that Leaves No Person with a Disability Behind.”