Education

Relief for parents as State builds centre for special needs learning equipment

Norman Kiogora, director of the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE). (Photo: X)

By Immaculate Wairimu | Friday, January 19, 2024

Through the Sh500 million centre, equipment such as wheelchairs, crutches, calipers, surgical boots, prosthetic arms, and legs and hearing aids will be produced, alongside repair and maintenance services.

The government has launched a centre to support special needs education, much to the relief of parents whose children are living with disabilities, for whom costs are expected to decline.

The Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) announced Thursday that the construction of the National Psycho-Educational Assessment and Research Centre had begun in Mavoko, Machakos County.

Through the Sh500 million centre, equipment such as wheelchairs, crutches, calipers, surgical boots, prosthetic arms, and legs and hearing aids will be produced, alongside repair and maintenance services.

The announcement came after President William Ruto commissioned the centre during a visit on October 26, 2023. He said then that the government was implementing recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms of June 2023.

The team reported that learners with special needs continue to perform dismally for reasons including lack of mobility and learning resources. It further noted that these devices are not readily available and that when they are, they are too expensive for both special needs schools and parents.

In its recommendations, the team highlighted the need for a centralised production, repair, maintenance and distribution centre for the equipment that special needs learners require.

Catherine Wanza, whose seven-year-old child has cerebral palsy, said, “This is welcome news for me and other parents of special needs children because the cost of acquiring assistive devices has been prohibitive. For instance, the cost of ankle foot orthoses in the common market is now Sh5,000 to Sh6,000."

She added, "These orthoses have to be accompanied by a special cerebral palsy wheelchair which costs about Sh50,000. Also, these equipment also have to be repaired, maintained and replaced as the child grows and this is usually out of pocket."

Wanza acknowledged that the government has tried to alleviate the challenges parents face through the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD). She cited the January 24-26 free mobility devices assessment by Hope Mobility, which she said many parents were looking forward to. Hope Mobility is a privately owned initiative by Michael Panther, a paraplegic, in partnership with the NCPWD.

"Having a local facility will ensure every child with special needs gets the devices required so parents will not have to depend on donors for support,” she said.

KISE Director Norman Kiogora noted that disabilities should not stifle learning as what is critical is early assessment and intervention.

“The local production of these devices will not only cut costs but also reinforce support for learners with special needs across the region," he said.

This project is expected to be operational by 2025.