Negotiating Local Knowledge: Networking Disability on the Community Level

Abstract

Networking on the community level, pooling resources, avoiding the duplication of services, education, and cooperation with community leaders are crucial for a broadly based disability network to emerge. This essay presents two models that might serve as inspiration for the creation of community-focused initiatives in the field of disability, namely Kwale Health Forum and Kwale District Eye Centre. Both models address the need to connect with the grassroots community, a relationship that is acknowledged as currently lacking in the “Strategic Plan” of Kenya’s National Council for Persons with Disabilities. The discussion shows that a community-based network for disability-related needs has the potential to allow for the identification of disabled individuals; facilitate their access to medical services; provide access to education; and, last but not least, assist in educating caregivers and the larger community, an aspect that is crucial to improving the situations of persons with disabilities.