UoN Hosts 4th International Wheelchair Day Celebrations

Globally, the International Wheelchair Day is marked on 1st March annually, the day was first launched in 2008 by Steve Wilkinson who is a wheelchair user. The day is commemorated to celebrate the positive impact of a wheelchair in the lives of the users, celebrate people who make the World a better and more accessible place for people with mobility disabilities and acknowledge and react constructively to people who need a wheelchair, but are unable to acquire one.

The University hosted the event at the Graduation square jointly with the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya on March 1, 2022. The theme for the 2022 Celebrations was “My Wheelchair, My right to Inclusion”. Key activities that marked the celebrations include a procession to the Central Business District, Speeches from the Vice Chancellor, Board Chair of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, representative of the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works and the Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage.

Five beneficiaries were awarded wheelchairs to aid their mobility. The Ministry of Transport urged Persons with Disabilities to share their input in various transport policies whereas the PS, Heritage urged the University to take up more research in disability to inform policy direction and programming. The Vice Chancellor reiterated the commitment of the University in taking a leadership role in disability inclusion and continuous improvement in processes and programs to be more disability inclusive as well as fostering collaborations with strategic partners in disability inclusion towards World Class University committed to Scholarly Excellence.