Vision Media

Rwanda Plans New Model Schools to Support Learners With Disabilities

Mugisha John — 2025-10-24T06:51:03Z

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 initiative is part of the government's broader plan to strengthen inclusive education and ensure that all children, regardless of their physical or intellectual abilities, have access to quality learning. Nsengimana revealed the plan while appearing before Parliament's Committee on Education, Technology, Culture, Sports and Youth to present strategies for improving the learning environment for children with disabilities.

“Starting in 2026–27, we plan to establish five model schools designed to provide specialized education for children with complex disabilities,” Nsengimana told lawmakers. He said the schools will serve as centers of excellence where teachers are trained to support learners with multiple disabilities while promoting inclusive practices in surrounding communities.

The Ministry of Education projects that the number of children with disabilities enrolled in primary schools will nearly double over the next four years — from 40,324 currently to 80,323 by 2029. The growth is attributed to government investments in accessibility and awareness campaigns encouraging parents to enroll children with disabilities in school.

Rwanda's inclusive education policy requires schools to integrate learners with disabilities into mainstream classrooms whenever possible and to provide infrastructure and learning materials that accommodate their needs.

Since 2017, the number of schools equipped to support children with disabilities has grown from 764 to 3,392, according to ministry data. The upgrades include ramps, adapted toilets, and special learning aids.

Officials say the new model schools will not only enhance access to education but also promote equality and dignity for learners who have often been excluded. “No child should be left behind because of disability,” Nsengimana said.

Rwanda Deaf Union Calls for Nationwide Sign Language Education

Administrator — 2025-10-06T09:26:15Z

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.

The call was made during a national event held in Gasabo District to mark the International Week of the Deaf and the International Day of Sign Languages. The week-long campaign emphasized inclusion and communication as essential rights for all citizens.

For Annick Uwamahoro, a mother of three who is deaf, sign language is the key to her family's happiness. Her husband is also deaf, but their children are not. She said that while her family communicates easily at home, life outside remains difficult because few people understand sign language.

“Without sign language, we have no equal rights,” Uwamahoro said. “I want to ask the government to make sign language education available to everyone. Whether at work, school, or in our communities, people with hearing disabilities deserve to be understood and included.”

RNUD president Eric Niyoyita commended the government for supporting the creation of Rwanda's first sign language dictionary but said more needs to be done. He called for sign language to be recognized as one of the country's national languages.

“People who are deaf can contribute to national development just like anyone else,” Niyoyita said. “When we remove communication barriers, we enable them to participate fully in society.”

He added that public institutions should adapt their communication systems—such as announcements and customer services—to ensure accessibility for people with hearing disabilities.

Dr. Beth Nasiforo Mukarwego, president of the National Union of Disability Organizations of Rwanda (NUDOR), praised progress made in promoting disability rights but urged greater investment in inclusive education and locally made assistive devices.

“Learning materials and equipment for people with disabilities are still expensive and hard to find,” she said. “We need to train more teachers in sign language and produce materials locally to make learning more inclusive.”

According to RNUD, more than 2,000 people, including health workers, police officers, and local government employees, have been trained in sign language this year. Rwanda is home to an estimated 70,000 people who are deaf or hard of hearing, many of whom say mastering communication is key to their participation in the nation's development.

Rwanda Joins African Research Drive for Inclusive Disability Support

Administrator — 2025-10-01T13:31:16Z

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.

The four-year study, launched in 2024, is being carried out in Rwanda, Cameroon and Zambia, with students collaborating through universities in the Netherlands. It focuses on five pillars: health, education, economic empowerment, and social inclusion — with the goal of ensuring people with disabilities are fully integrated into their communities.

Researchers say many support programs collapse once donor funding ends, leaving gaps in services. The study seeks to identify strategies to make disability-inclusive development more sustainable.

In Rwanda, researchers are examining how government, civil society, faith-based groups and communities can work together to ensure projects endure. Jean Baptiste Sagahutu, a lecturer at the University of Rwanda, said, “Our approach is to make community-based rehabilitation long-lasting, so that services remain even if funders leave.”

Officials say early findings suggest that up to 80% of current challenges could be resolved if sustainability is built into program design.

Rwanda's 2022 census reported more than 446,000 people with disabilities. Despite progress, barriers remain. “We need to ensure every person with a disability has access to education, health care, and decent work,” said Oswald Tuyizere of the National Council of Persons with Disabilities.

Disability Groups Urge Stronger Budget Commitments Amid Cuts

Administrator — 2025-08-29T08:47:19Z

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.

The Association of Persons with Disabilities in Rwanda (AGHR) said on Thursday that allocations for disability-related programs in the 2024/2025 fiscal year remain limited, especially in health and infrastructure.

A new AGHR study shows that funding for accessibility in public buildings fell from 12% in 2023/2024 to 11% this year. The government allocated Rwf 67.9 billion ($53 million) for housing and state property projects benefiting people with disabilities. In health, funding dropped from Rwf 19.6 billion to Rwf 18.6 billion.

Education saw increases, with Rwf 43.8 billion earmarked for inclusive schooling. Districts nationwide allocated Rwf 505.9 billion for special-needs education, while the City of Kigali set aside Rwf 32.5 billion for education, Rwf 9.7 billion for health, and nearly Rwf 1.9 billion for social protection. Still, health allocations for districts plunged from Rwf 2.7 billion last year to Rwf 787.8 million.

Faustin Renzaho, AGHR's executive director, urged stronger accountability. “AGHR's inspection of 24 institutions in Kigali revealed accessibility standards remain very low, especially in schools, we ask that Rwanda's construction laws be enforced, and that older buildings be upgraded so children with disabilities can study without barriers.”

Dr. Mukarwego Beth Nasiforo, who leads the National Union of Disability Organizations (NUDOR), said many districts allocate too little for essential services. “People with disabilities have many needs. When allocations are too low, many are left behind,” she said.

Murwanashyaka Everaste, who led the AGHR study, said persons with disabilities are often excluded from budget consultations. “Some districts receive large budgets but allocate as little as Rwf 12 million per year for disability programs,” he said, adding that no law requires institutions to earmark funds for disability.

The Ministry of Finance acknowledged the concerns but said inclusion is the responsibility of all sectors. “Every sector—health, education, agriculture—must show how allocations will address disability needs so no one is left behind,” said Pascasie Mukarukundo, a senior official.

Rwanda ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2008 and pledged under the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure inclusion by 2030. Advocates warn budget shortfalls could undermine those commitments.

Coverage Limits Leave Disabled Persons Facing Recovery Costs Alone

Administrator — 2025-08-25T08:49:25Z

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.

At HVP Gatagara, the country's oldest and largest orthopedics and rehabilitation hospital, patients report that treatment often ends not because they are healed but because insurance runs out. Under current policy, health insurance covers only three months of care or 40 therapy sessions. After that, patients must pay entirely on their own.

A 2022 national survey estimated Rwanda has nearly 392,000 persons with disabilities, with more than a quarter of adults experiencing functional difficulty. Children make up about 20 percent of that population, underscoring the need for accessible, continuous rehabilitation services.

Founded in 1983 and run by the Brothers of Charity, Gatagara treats around 4,000 patients annually, including 1,500 children who live at the center for long-term care and education. Recognised in 2018 as a specialised hospital in orthopedics and rehabilitation, it serves as a national referral point. Yet insurance restrictions leave many stranded mid-recovery.

“My body was halfway paralysed and I have spent two months here,” said Donatha Nikuze, 46, from Ruhango district. “The treatment helped me improve, but my insurance does not cover all the services I need, like a wheelchair. Once coverage ends, we are told to pay everything ourselves. Many of us simply can't afford it.”

Beatrice Maniiragena, a mother of three from Nyabihu district, voiced the same concern after spinal surgery. “After three months I will be sent home, even when I am not fully recovered,” she said. “When I return for further treatment, I must pay 100 percent from my own income. I am not financially stable. That is a big challenge.”

Hospital staff say the system itself creates these barriers
“Insurance only covers certain conditions like spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy or post-surgery rehabilitation,” said Beatrice Byukusenge, head physiotherapist at Gatagara. “After 40 sessions or three months, patients are sent home on home therapy. If they return, they must pay entirely from their income. Elderly patients face the same limitation.”

Isaac Rukuundo, head of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department, said the rules often undermine the purpose of rehabilitation. “Patients are not fully recovered when they go home, but because insurance coverage ends, families face heavy financial pressure,” he said.

Patients also point to unmet government promises. A cabinet decision earlier this year pledged that essential equipment such as wheelchairs would be covered by insurance starting in July. Months later, nothing has changed.
“Patients come expecting wheelchairs under insurance because the government said it would be covered,” Rukuundo said. “When we explain it is not yet in effect, they accuse us of denying them their rights.”

Rwanda's legal framework already provides for state support. A 2009 ministerial order requires that persons with disabilities rated between 50 and 100 percent disability have their Mutuelle de Santé premiums fully paid by the state. Those rated 30 to 49 percent qualify for partial coverage, and the order guarantees free prosthetics and orthotics for patients with severe disability. In practice, however, implementation remains uneven.

Many patients say medicines are either out of stock or not covered under Mutuelle. A study by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research found that 18 percent of members are dissatisfied with services, 76 percent said prescribed drugs are not always covered, and 38 percent reported that essential medicines are unavailable at health facilities.

For patients at Gatagara and thousands of others across Rwanda, the gap between policy and practice remains wide. But with stronger advocacy, informed reporting, and responsive insurance reforms, experts and patients alike hope that rehabilitation can finally match the medical and human potential of those seeking to recover.

Rwanda Reports Growth in Training for Special Needs and Inclusive Education Staff

Administrator — 2025-08-08T17:32:34Z

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.

The latest “Education Statistical Yearbook,” released in May 2025, shows teacher training in special needs education rose from 2,862 in 2017 to 15,177 in 2023/24. The number of trained school leaders increased 14% over the same period, from 536 to 1,987.

Despite progress, the ministry says training coverage remains low.

“There is a need for a large-scale, consistent program to train all education staff, including teachers and leaders, in inclusive education,” the report says.

Higher learning institutions enrolled 1,561 students with disabilities last year, including 1,088 males and 473 females. Most, about 78%, have physical or sensory disabilities.

In adult literacy classes, 243 learners have disabilities, 61% of whom are women.

Faustin Renzaho, executive director of the Umbrella of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities in Rwanda, said Rwanda has made strides but more needs to be done.

“For deaf children, having a teacher fluent in sign language is the best way to learn,” Renzaho said.

Teacher Odette Mujawayezu of G.S. Bihinga in Gatsibo district said her training in special needs education helped her communicate with deaf students.

“Knowing sign language allows me to teach deaf and mute children effectively,” she said.

The ministry says Rwanda has 42,476 students with disabilities in basic education — 23,943 girls and 18,533 boys.

New project to enhance economic participation of youth with disabilities through cooperatives

Elie Mutangana — 2024-01-27T16:27:55Z

A newly launched project seeks to enhance economic participation of youth with disabilities through cooperatives in Rwanda.

“Turengere Abafite Ubumuga Project” launched by the African Initiative for Mankind Progress Organization (AIMPO), a local Nongovernmental organization in Rwanda on January 26, 2024, is aimed at promoting inclusiveness of persons with (PWDs), through creating an enabling environment for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in which the vulnerable groups would realize their own abilities, enhance their participation for economic and social support.

The new project was funded by the European Union and will be implemented by AIMPO in partnership with the Integrated Sustainable Development Organizations (ISDO), Hand in Hand for Development (HIHD) and Organization or Integration and Promotion of Persons with Albinism (OIPPA), targeting to improve the well-being of at least 8,000 persons with disabilities at the end of project.

The target is to strengthen advocacy to capacitate about 30 Civil Society Organizations for rights of persons with disabilities, teach leaders to eliminate discrimination against them and empower parents of children with disabilities for sustainable livelihood.
“We want to raise voice for persons with disabilities to make sure that the society understands their contribution to the economic development. We want to champion their inclusive participation in different areas of opportunities. The history shows that the group used to be neglected in the society due to the stigma. With the project, the efforts will be stretched to beneficiaries for empowering them and building their capacity,” said Richard Ntakirutimana, AIMPO Executive Director.

Among the key activities throughout the project will include capacity building for CSOs and local leaders. Others include training sessions, public awareness events, economic support for youth and community outreach as well as national dialogues.

According to the Executive Director of Organization for Integration and Promotion of Persons with Albinism in Rwanda (OIPPA), Nicodemus Hakizimana, the government of Rwanda has made tremendous strides in supporting and empowering persons with disabilities, compared to the last decades.

He referred the progress to his own testimony. Nicodemus revealed that he holds a PHD degree although he is an albino. He acknowledged that he receives support from the government and individuals that encouraged him to pursue his dreams and attain them.

“Firstly, we thank the government for understanding the challenges facing persons with disabilities as a marginalized group. As a result, it set the law protecting and dignifying them for upholding their rights and consideration in the society. The current constitutional law determines the rights of persons with disabilities and the government ratified the Convention for Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This is a tremendous step towards engaging persons with disabilities in all social and political landscapes,” Hakizimana said.
However, Hakizimana called for more efforts to bridge the existing gaps especially in the implementation of the law. For instance, people with are still few in leadership positions of both government entities and private ones.

“We wish to see a mayor, minister or members of parliament with disabilities, so as to reflect an example to others and to inspire fellow persons with disabilities to glow their confidence and tap their potentials,” said Hakizimana.

Critical eye on rural areas

The “Turengere Abafite Ubumuga project” will critically allocate operations mainly to rural areas as they are reported to be prone to discrimination against persons with disabilities.
About 23 sectors, largely from rural areas are set to benefit from the project and evacuate the person disabilities with from the hardships including discrimination.

It is reported that rural areas record high cases of discrimination and injustice against persons with disabilities compared to the cities.

“Several statistics show that all developments are found in the cities compared to the rural areas. This disparity is also evident in the development of persons with where those residing in rural areas suffer the most. But this is a starting point, we plan to scale up even to cities,” Hakizimana further pointed out.

Jean Pierre Baragahoranye who is in charge of Disabilities and Mainstreaming at National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) urged local leaders to leverage the project for addressing the pressing issues of the persons with disabilities .

“Initiatives such as this should come to help us (public leaders) in tackling issues we have already detected. They shouldn't come to show us where there are issues” Baragahoranye said.
He stressed the need for leaders to direct civil society organizations to the critical areas where there is need for support to address problems facing persons with disabilities.