{"id":124596,"date":"2025-11-12T13:06:32","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T13:06:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/11\/12\/senator-crystal-asige-champions-full-implementation-of-pwd-act-calls-for-inclusive-media-representation\/"},"modified":"2025-11-12T13:06:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T13:06:32","slug":"senator-crystal-asige-champions-full-implementation-of-pwd-act-calls-for-inclusive-media-representation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/senator-crystal-asige-champions-full-implementation-of-pwd-act-calls-for-inclusive-media-representation\/","title":{"rendered":"Senator Crystal Asige Champions Full Implementation of PWD Act, Calls for Inclusive Media Representation"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 12 \u2013<\/strong> Senator Crystal Asige, a visually impaired lawmaker and award-winning musician, has called for the full implementation of the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act, urging stronger institutional and media action to advance inclusion and equality for all Kenyans.<\/p>\n

Speaking during an inclusion-focused event in Nairobi, the nominated senator underscored that the new law must not remain symbolic, but serve as a framework for meaningful participation, accessibility, and opportunity across public and private sectors.<\/p>\n

\u201cDisability itself does not discriminate; it is merely an identity. It is people and systems that make disability seem dirty or pitiful,\u201d Asige said, emphasising the need for a mindset shift in how society perceives and engages with persons with disabilities.<\/p>\n

Asige challenged Kenya\u2019s media fraternity to play a more active role in shaping narratives around disability, urging newsrooms to move beyond charity-driven or inspirational stereotypes.<\/p>\n

She called for accessibility in communication and ICT, the inclusion of persons with disabilities in newsrooms, and dedicated airtime to highlight the achievements and innovations of people living with disabilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cInclusion means participation \u2014 in storytelling, in production, and in leadership. Media houses should provide at least one hour daily, or weekly segments, that feature entrepreneurs, innovators, and children with disabilities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She further proposed that newsrooms establish roundtable discussions on creativity and inclusion, integrate sensitivity training, and simplify complex texts to make content more accessible to audiences with varying needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cSensitivity training helps you realise it\u2019s not that hard \u2014 there are low-hanging fruits. You just have to learn, exercise, and implement it,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

The senator urged government agencies and implementing institutions to fast-track regulations that will operationalise the PWD Act, which became law in May 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have done the \u2018what\u2019; now it is up to the relevant ministries and institutions to tell us the \u2018how\u2019 \u2014 how it will be implemented so that it breathes life into the Act,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Asige stressed that real change would come only when the country moves beyond tokenism to genuine participation, ensuring persons with disabilities are not merely represented but empowered to lead and contribute meaningfully to national development.<\/p>\n

The senator drew parallels between Kenya\u2019s early disability-rights activism and her current advocacy, recounting the 1959 story of John Kimuyu, a blind Kenyan who defied societal and colonial barriers to marry Ruth Holloway, a white missionary.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir union faced intense opposition \u2014 not only because of race but because Kimuyu was visually impaired. This discrimination sparked protests by Kenyans with disabilities, demanding equality and the right to marry freely. That was the beginning of disability inclusion advocacy in Kenya,\u201d Asige said.<\/p>\n

She reflected on her own experience, revealing that she gradually lost her eyesight during her high school and university years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have lived both worlds \u2014 with full sight and with visual impairment \u2014 and that has taught me the true meaning of resilience and empathy,\u201d she shared.<\/p>\n

In a lighthearted moment, Asige shared a fun fact about the architectural design of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) and Kenya\u2019s Parliament Buildings, before explaining her own communication practice of self-description during public engagements.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always describe myself to the audience \u2014 my appearance, clothing, or expressions \u2014 to promote inclusion and allow visually impaired individuals listening or watching from home to visualise who is speaking to them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Asige encouraged journalists to enrol in programmes at the Kenya Institute for Special Education (KISE), which offers training on disability awareness, inclusion, and basic sign language interpretation \u2014 courses open to both disabled and non-disabled Kenyans.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of always waiting for an interpreter, challenge yourself to learn basic sign language. It\u2019s free, and it\u2019s a tool that opens doors to better, more inclusive storytelling,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The senator called on the public to shift their mindset about people with disabilities, urging society to recognise them as fully capable and economically productive citizens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been supported by my family and community and risen to Parliament. But there are millions of others who could thrive if given the same opportunity. If we create that environment, how many more Crystal Asiges will Kenya produce?\u201d she posed.<\/p>\n

Asige connected that vision to the upcoming Deaf Olympics in Tokyo, encouraging media coverage that highlights preparation, athleticism, and excellence rather than sympathy.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s tell stories about how they train, compete, and represent Kenya proudly \u2014 not just as inspirational figures, but as professionals and champions in their own right,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In closing, Senator Asige reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring the Persons with Disabilities Act of 2025 becomes a living document that transforms lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis law is a tool for fighting for ourselves. Nobody can use you to beg, deny you access, or exclude you from public or digital spaces. Let\u2019s use it to shape the Kenya we all deserve,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Through her advocacy, storytelling, and lived experience, Asige continues to challenge Kenya to reimagine inclusion \u2014 not as charity, but as justice; not as sympathy, but as shared humanity.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 12 \u2013 Senator Crystal Asige, a visually impaired lawmaker and award-winning musician, has called for the full implementation of the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act, urging stronger institutional and media action to advance inclusion and equality for all Kenyans. Speaking during an inclusion-focused event in Nairobi, the nominated senator underscored that the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124596"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124596\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}