Rwanda’s deaf community is urging the government to officially recognize sign language and introduce it in schools, saying the move would improve access to essential services and reduce exclusion.
Japan has provided a grant of $89,000 to support the construction of a new facility for children with intellectual disabilities in Rwanda’s Bugesera district, officials said.
People with disabilities in Rwanda are urging the government to ensure the nationwide rollout of digital national identity cards includes special provisions to prevent them from being excluded.
Rwanda will build five model schools for children with complex disabilities beginning in the 2026–27 academic year, Education Minister Joseph Nsengimana announced this week.
The Rwanda National Union of the Deaf (RNUD) has urged the government to make sign language education accessible to everyone, saying it would bridge persistent communication gaps between people who are deaf or hard of hearing and the general public.
People with disabilities across Africa are looking to new research on community-based rehabilitation for lasting solutions to challenges of exclusion in education, health care, and livelihoods.
Rwanda’s disability rights organizations say the national budget remains inadequate to meet the needs of people with disabilities, despite some progress in education and social protection.
Patients at Rwanda’s largest rehabilitation hospital say gaps in health insurance are cutting recovery short, forcing families to pay out of pocket while promised coverage for essential therapies and assistive devices remains unfulfilled.
The Ministry of Education says the number of education workers trained in special needs and inclusive education grew by 752 in 2023/24, reaching 17,164 — about 12% of the country’s 142,031 education workforce.
A newly launched project seeks to enhance economic participation of youth with disabilities through cooperatives in Rwanda.
