In a bid to further create more awareness for people with Disabilities, the country is planning to open up a Dialogue in the Dark-DiD center, that will see the blind and visually impaired people able to be self-reliant.
The center that will handle the Dialogue in the Dark program, a program an International exhibition and leadership programme held in complete darkness is aimed at creating employment opportunities for visually impaired in the country.
Jean Damascene Nsengiyumva, executive secretary of the national Union of disabilities’ organizations of Rwanda (NUDOR) says that the center through the program will create a model for an inclusive business, social entrepreneurship in Rwanda.
“This is a new concept with the aim of increasing awareness for the ability and rights of persons with visual disabilities in Rwanda,” he said
Accordingly, the center will be established by national Union of disabilities’ organizations of Rwanda (NUDOR) and national council of person with Disabilities of Rwanda (NCPD) with support from German technical cooperation and dialogue social enterprises (DSE).
“NUDOR will have full responsibility for establishing the legal DiD Rwanda entity which should become as separate branch under NUDOR,” he explained.
Under the understanding, the Dialogue Social Enterprise (DSE) will provide their theoretical and technical expertise which is based on a successful social franchising model of Dialogue in the Dark all over the world.
Balthazar Ndayisaba, project manager at national Union of disabilities’ organizations of Rwanda (NUDOR) says that the DiD program will see blind trainers offer capacity building in the areas of communication, team building and leadership skills, using experiential learning and training tools.
Blind and visually impaired people guide the public through the exhibition and conduct workshops leading to a role swap,” he says adding, “ the visually impaired guides and trainers can ‘see’ and lead, while the sighted people are ‘blind’ going through staged everyday situations such as streets.”
Experiencing this role reversal, Ndayisaba says shifts disability into an ability and changes the mid set of the sighted visitors that creates awareness regarding the rights and abilities of persons with disabilities.