By Mohammed Odhiambo

Residents of Migori County and it’s environs have been challenged to start considering children living with disabilites, as human beings and help them work within their abilities without stigmatization, discrimination or denial of fundamental children rights.

Leonard Cheshire Disability Project officer Samson Ang’ienda yesterday took it on people who descriminate and stigmatize children living with disabilities, especialy girl child which he says has been forgotten for a long time in kenya.

“Community ought to stop discrimination against children with disabilities because they were children before they became disabled. We are asking the parents to allow children be children while still children,” he said.

Ang’ienda who was talking at a workshop in Migori, which saw several NGOs and stake holders come together, said that he is looking forwad to a society that seeks opportuinities of change to make itself attractive and accomodative to persons living with disabilities.

“As Leonard Cheshire Disability, we are advocating for a society free from stigmatization and discrmination, a place that is both attractive and accomodative to children living with disabilities,” he asserted

He added that parents should understand that its neither their mistake nor that of the child to be in a condition they are in, that said, they deserve dignity and respect just like any other person living in the society.

Leonard Cheshire Disability is an international disability right based organisation that has helped provision of assistive devices and observance of rights of persons living with disabilities, majorly girlchild among others in Kenya.