Disability is not Inability

:: A case for Inclusive Civic Education.

As the preparations for this year's general elections gain more momentum, the role of civic education becomes relevant. There are many issues to consider in ensuring that civic education is beneficial to persons with disabilities if their objective is to increasing participation intensity.

Various initiatives are going on to mobilise participation and to gather benefits that would see change in the livelihoods of the common citizen living with disability. Various issues come to mind when dealing with this issues. The objectives we give to civic education depends on what we belive is achieveable within the existing socio-political environment. What we believe is achievable then defines what strategies we take-up and what measurements indicators we use.

How can we get her to vote and ensure her vote improves her livelihood?

Many a times civic education in kenya as to the general public, remains creation of awareness of our civic duties as persons with disabilities. This is built from the assumption that knowing our civic rights will empower participation in established socio-political structures.

The main challenges to this premise are twofold: a) people with disabilities are a minority in the Kenyan population to effectively promote the disability agenda through established electoral structures, b) that the disability agenda faces both structural and attitudinal barriers to entry.

Considering these challenges this paper promotes the view that effective civic education should target both people with disabilities and the general public. The media chosen should reach both and the themes should build capacity of citizens with disabilities to take up their civic duties while educating the larger public on the ways and benefits of empowering and promoting an inclusive electoral process.

Considering widespread mass poverty and discriminatory socio-political structures against persons with disabilities, the capability of the community to compete beneficially in the electoral process is significantly compromised if issues of adjustments are mainstreamed in national political process. One way to do this is an inclusive civic education.

:: Civic education using an Inclusive Calendar Media

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