Rwanda’s National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) says that seeing a person with a disability, especially someone who crawls for mobility, without a wheelchair reflects negligence by local authorities or community members.
NCPD Executive Secretary Emmanuel Ndayisaba made the remarks Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, during a press briefing on preparations for Disability Week and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, to be observed Dec. 3 in Nyabihu District.
The weeklong event, from Nov. 26 to Dec. 3, will include the distribution of 372 wheelchairs and other assistive devices, including equipment for 272 students with disabilities. Ndayisaba said each district is expected to provide at least 250 wheelchairs annually.
“If you see someone crawling who should have a wheelchair, that is negligence,” Ndayisaba said. “A U.S.-based partner has pledged to provide all the wheelchairs the country needs. Lack of a wheelchair means someone failed to report the need so a solution could be found.”
NCPD collaborates with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, district pharmacies, NUDOR, World Vision and Save the Children to ensure proper assessment before devices are issued.
The government allocated 53 billion Rwandan francs last year to support people with disabilities through community health insurance. This funding expanded coverage for cancer drugs, prosthetics, orthotics, and other essential medicines.
Rwanda has 562,184 people with disabilities, with women making up 55.2 percent and men 44.5 percent, according to NCPD data. About 34,800 adults with disabilities lack national identification cards because they were never registered at birth, a situation linked to stigma and the belief that children born with disabilities could not contribute to society.
Disability Week will feature education- and employment-focused discussions and community service activities. The week concludes Dec. 3 with prosthetic and orthotic distributions in Nyabihu District.
“The goal is to ensure no Rwandan is left crawling without a wheelchair,” Ndayisaba said.
