A team of U.S. disability rights experts traveled to Kenya in April 2015 to learn about the status of implementation of national legislation and international policies to protect the rights of people with disabilities.
Working in collaboration with a leading Disabled People’s Organization (DPO), the U.S. team convened leaders from disability, government, civil society and private sectors, to explore legal frameworks and strategies for addressing critical issues, such as physical accessibility, education, employment, and access to legal services.
“Implementation of the constitution in line with the CRPD and the existing Kenya Persons with Disabilities Act remains a priority…as well as political representation to ensure existing laws are implemented effectively. We need to work with the government to complement each other’s work .” – DPO in Kenya
Trips to other RightsNow! project countries, Mexico and Vietnam, took place in March 2015. In summer 2015, U.S. teams return to all three countries to conduct in-depth trainings to address country-specific priorities and provide technical assistance drawing on the U.S. experience of implementing disability rights laws.
The RightsNow! project aims to strengthen DPOs, build sustainable coalitions, and advance disability rights through enforcement of legislation and other strategies. Read more about the project in “RightsNow! Project Focuses on CRPD Implementation.”
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