Disability, Society and Theology: Voices from Africa

Chapter Eighteen: The Church and Pastoral Counselling for Disability

The Church and Pastoral Counselling for Disability CHAPTER EIGHTEEN The Church and Pastoral Counselling for Disability David Kiarie Definitions D isability is defined as the absence, incapacitation, impairment or dysfunction of certain body organs.These could be internal and invisible such as inability to hear or external and visible like a disfigured limb. The causes may be congenital or noncongenital . SituationalAnalysis and Demographics of PWDs Statistics on disability in Kenya are rare. Without data, it is not possible to determine how disability affects national development or plan for those affected. Neither can they be fully involved in the management of their own affairs. It is only in 2007 that the National Coordinating Agency for Population and Development (NCAPD) with the assistance of Kenya National Bureau of Statistics came up with the first ever comprehensive survey on PWDs. The survey targeted all PWDs including people with chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, diabetes, malnutrition, Aids, injuries from accidents, land mines and violence. They carried out interviews in about 15,000 households. Findings of this survey revealed that PWDs make up 5% of Kenya’s Population. According to projections by WHO, disability affects at least 10% of any given population. Thus at 5%, Kenya seems to be doing better than most countries. This would put the Disability, Society, and Theology actual figure of PWDs at about 1.5 million. Of these, only about a third are in formal employment. There is a strong public opinion that developing countries should include persons with disabilities in their development programmes. Also, the levels of literacy and participation in economic activities are low among PWDs. Among the disabilities, physical impairment was the most common followed by poor eyesight. Nyanza province had the highest number of people with disabilities while North Eastern had the least. The survey also found that more men than women had mental disabilities while more women than men suffered from visual disabilities. According to the World Bank about 80% of PWDs live in poor countries where they experience social and economic disadvantages besides suffering human right abuses. TheWorld Bank also estimates that for every five people one has a disability (20%). They live with stigma contending with poor policies and other inhibitions that compound their disabilities. The World Bank found a lot of synergy between poverty and disability. Poverty may cause disability through malnutrition, poor nutrition and lower immunisation, lower birth weight, higher rates of unemployment and under-employment. In March 2008, Kenya signed the convention of rights of persons with disabilities. This is the only human rights treaty adopted by the international community this century.1 Such treaties should have been signed long time ago. Beyond mere signing, measures should be put in place to fully implement its provisions. Going by World Bank statistics, 20% of Kenya’s population has some form of disability. Such a significant part of the population cannot be overlooked or taken for granted. Perspectives on PWDs Society seems to condemn persons with disabilities in a manner likely to suggest that they contributed in bringing about the condition. Below, we shall discuss biblical and linguistic perspectives. 298 _____________________________________ 1 Daily Nation, Thursday The Church and Pastoral Counselling for Disability Biblical Perspective Biblical teachings about disability have been extensively covered in Chapter 1. However, I will cite a few verses to develop my argument. In Jn 9:1-12, Jesus’ disciples ask him as to who had sinned so that the man in question is born blind. They pose the question, ‘…Rabii, who sinned, this man or his parents that he should be born blind?” The question raises a theological discord. How could the man have sinned before he was born? We later learn from Jn 9:3 that the reason for his blindness was that “The work of God might be displayed in him.” God uses people with disabilities for his own purpose. Do PWDs suffer of necessity because they are the worst sinners? Incidents in the Bible show otherwise. For example, Job’s suffering does not in any way incriminate him. “Through all this, Job did not sin nor did he blame God” (Job 1:22). In all this, Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2:10). In Lk 13:1-5, Jesus draws our attention to those who suffered for no cause of their own. He talks about the Gaileans whose blood Pilate mixed with that of their sacrifices and the eighteen on whom...