Ole Sapit raises concerns over increasing number of hidden disabled people

ACK Archbispob Jackson Ole Sapit. [ David Njanga, Standard]

The Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit has raised concerns over "many"  disabled children and adults whom he said are still hidden away in homes and denied opportunities to fully participate in the growth of the society.

Speaking during the launch of the Disability, the Bible and the Church Conference in Nairobi, Ole Sapit challenged the church to open its doors wider to people living with disabilities.

He said churches must move beyond sympathy and deliberately create inclusive spaces that embrace and empower people with disabilities.

“Our expectation is to make sure that when we go to our churches, we are going quickly to welcome every person with disability and bring them in,” said the cleric. 

“We need to make our places accessible and communicate a better theology on what the Bible says about people with disabilities," he urged. 

The conference is organised by Hope Mobility Kenya, and is expected to run from Thursday May 21 to Friday 22, and brings together church leaders, disability advocates, government representatives and organisations working with persons with disabilities from across the country.

Ole Sapit decried the stigma surrounding disability in many communities, saying some families still view children with disabilities as a curse and keep them hidden from the public. 

He revealed that during a recent outreach mission in Narok County alongside Hope Mobility Kenya, organisers had to venture deep into villages to identify and assist hundreds of disabled persons.

“Most of them were forgotten, most of them are being hidden because in our society today children with disabilities are looked at as a curse,” he said. 

“The government, chiefs, village elders and local pastors must work together to identify them and remove them from where they are being hidden so that they can be supported,” he added.

The archbishop further called on both county and national governments to invest more in specialised programmes, schools and healthcare services for persons with disabilities.

“These are members of society who have equal rights like any other Kenyan,” he said, adding that empowerment should go beyond simply making churches accessible. 

He said the church has to have programmes that empower their education, give them skills and enable them to participate fully in the life of the community.

Hope Mobility Kenya founder Michael Panther said the conference was inspired by the growing cries from people with disabilities seeking acceptance within churches and communities.

Panther said the organisation continues to distribute wheelchairs and mobility devices across the country to help children access schools and adults secure livelihoods. He noted that inclusion begins with ensuring persons with disabilities feel loved, valued and part of society.

“Our mission is to share the hope of Jesus Christ through the gift of mobility,” he said. “We want them to know they belong, they are not isolated, neglected or discriminated against.”