Disability is not Inability

::There is need for a Disability Sports Association

The disability sports fratenity has been staggering with issues of organisation and funding. The Sports potential within the disability cannot be denied. The number of medals that disabled sportspeople have brought to this country is enviable if by any standards. The disability sports needs an umbrella organisation to channel a strategic framework that would improve sports among the community in the country.

Special olympics has for many years brought this country medals for the many times they have partcipated. Deaf Athletes in many events in the in Deaf International Sports have brought this country alot of medals. Last year alone the number of medals in the Australian events was the highest in Africa with over 8 medals six of them Gold.

However the funding of sports has been mainly through Association. The Associations can be built to represent bettre negotiating terms to the government in relation to issues like funding and sports facilities.

Disability sports is poorly organised lacking in funding nor facilites. many in the government does not know much about the challenges that make the sports underdeveloped compared with others.

It was refreshing to see disabled sports persons included in the Awards to the best sports people in Kenya by the Ministry of Gender Sports, Cultures and social services. Such recognition is way ahead a superb way to improve sports in the country. The need for an umbrella organisation managing disability sports will not only bring sanity but also better management and disability-friendly national sports management.

Sports is one of the areas that the disabled community can effectively build the role models and self esteem required to build our lot. Many a sports pupils in schools do not see their talents as worthy of a career. They do not make the efforts necessary to improve their talents and therore destroy their potentials.

The need for an umbrella organisation is also necessary due to the inability of many sports groups at the grassroots level to organise themselves an have access to sports facilties. Deaf Union an organisation that use to organise quality football within Nairobi in the early 90s collapsed because amonth other things it was not able to particpate in trainings and tornaments becasue of the low access to facilties.

The lack of ways to mobilises funding is a big challenge that not even organisations that have good umbrellaorganisations have maneged. This is essentailly due to the high levels of corruption in the country sports included. Gates collections are corrupted to benefit officials and many a clubs may not benefit from the little funds declared. Sports organisations that involve the disabled people find it hard to negotiate terms with such institutions and facilties. An umbrella organisation would help alot.

Disabilitykenya.