Public buildings in East Africa remain inaccessible to people with disabilities

Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), meeting in Arusha, criticized the lack of accessibility for people with disabilities in public buildings and transport across the region. Rwandan legislator Alex Bahati moved a motion urging EAC partner states and the Council of Ministers to uphold disability rights, noting that the EAC headquarters in Arusha lacks ramps. Legislators also cited barriers at border posts and on buses, trains and planes, and agreed to submit the matter to the Council of Ministers for rapid implementation. The EAC has yet to conduct an official regional census of people with disabilities across its eight member states.