le parcours du combattant des handicapés au Cameroun
Enquiry
In terms of health, people with disabilities are disadvantaged. When you open the Cameroonian labour code, which has 11 titles, Title I, Article 2, paragraph 2 announces: " Work is a right for every adult and VALID citizen " . Our first reaction is to think that any person with a disability or who becomes disabled as a result of an accident will be excluded from any right to work!
The Texts
Then, if we go on to Title XI, we find article 175: " Vocational training, vocational rehabilitation and employment of people with disabilities are governed by laws" . Yes, we are talking about the disabled, but then which law applies?
Cameroon adhered very early to many international conventions including the one on the rights of persons with disabilities, ratified on 03/05/2008, by the UN. The Cameroonian government has integrated into its legislation the law N°2010/002, on 13/04/2010 on the protection and promotion of persons with disabilities. The process is long to put in place since it is only on 26/07/2018 that a decree (2018/6233) sets the modalities of application of the law.
THE REALITY
Even if the law allows a person with a disability to take his or her rights to court for discrimination, the law of the state is not the law of the street.
Access to administrative, school and university buildings is still difficult because all the old colonial buildings are unsuitable and too costly to fit out. Neither the administration nor the education system has sufficient means to rehabilitate them.
The Evolution
However, all new administrations take into account the needs of disabled people and are equipped with, among other things, access ramps.
Like the Wouri Prefecture, Littoral Region built in 2015,
Or the Town Hall of Fokoue, Western Region.
EDUCATION
The free primary school, decreed on 19/01/2001, is not entirely free (see article Free School: Myth or Reality). It is often neglected in favour of public schools, which are supposed to be of better quality. Parents make major sacrifices for their children (see the article in Le Monde The Private School). For our disabled people, Article 29 providing " full or partial exemption from school or university fees for indigent disabled pupils and students« , n’est pas réellement respecté.
L’article 38 déclare « les personnes handicapées justifiant d’une formation professionnelle ou scolaire, bénéficient de mesures préférentielles lors des recrutements aux emplois publics et privés (…) lorsque le poste est compatible avec leur état« . Malheureusement de trop nombreux bâtiments, bureaux ou postes ne sont pas aménagés.
Handicap means equipment for the handicapped!
Overview
We conducted a study in Douala to find out the prices of some disability-friendly equipment. We approached pharmacies and scoured the city for second-hand equipment. After this investigation, we were able to determine an average price for the items.
This cane for the visually impaired is sold for 15,000 FCFA new and 10,000 FCFA used. That is 35-50% of a SMIC
The new standard wheelchair is worth 265,000 FCFA and from 110,000 FCFA for a second-hand wheelchair. about 4 to 9 months of SMIC
conclusion
It is expensive compared to the standard of living. Without social security coverage or reimbursement for health care and equipment, Cameroonians do everything to get by. There is a system of micro-credits, especially Tontines, as well as the accumulation of several jobs.
There are 10% of the world's population living with a disability. It is the largest minority in the world. Cameroon is no exception to the rule
The Cameroonian state has not remained inactive or indifferent to this situation. It has decided to equip itself with a health coverage system (CSU). Such an operation would require a contribution of 1,300 billion FCFA (2 billion €). Investment and modernisation of infrastructures, creation of specialised centres, schools related to disability, development of mutual insurance companies and microinsurance, all contribute to the improvement of health coverage and the treatment of disability. " Rome wasn't built in a day"It will take some time to get everything in place.
While there are much larger organisations whose role is to monitor and push governments to act, ours is to intervene at the grassroots level with great responsiveness and flexibility through a network of volunteers who are highly committed to our mission to relieve parents of their burdens, enable children to benefit from additional support, education and improve their mobility.
