When it comes to the mantra that disability is not inability, Gladys Koech is a firm believer. One of her first experiences with disability was with her sister’s child. With disability hitting close to home, Gladys was spurred on to pursue a career assisting children just like these. She carried her personal experience to her academic pursuits and gained a diploma in Occupational Therapy. Subsequently, she pursued a Bachelor’s in Project Planning and Management at the University of Nairobi and carved a path towards serving disability communities.
Joining APDK
This service came in the form of joining the Association of the Physically Disabled of Kenya – Coast branch (APDK) based in Port Reitz, Mombasa. APDK is a non-governmental organization with a focus on mainstreaming disability through advocacy, empowerment, rehabilitative services and the provision of mobility devices such as wheelchairs.
Gladys began as a volunteer in 2009 before growing into the role of Occupational Therapist. Unlike physiotherapists who work to ensure patients can move their bodies, occupational therapists support patients to perform their daily activities as best as possible. With a focus on this wellbeing aspect, Gladys has built a wealth of knowledge about the lived realities of people living with disabilities and the challenges they face particularly due to stigma.
After working directly with patients at the centre, Gladys was appointed as the Programs Director at APDK – a position that oversees the Occupational Therapy department. Her new role provided the perfect environment to continue to shed light on disabilities, push back against stigma, provide care and give hope. Being that the organisation is the only facility providing thorough institutional rehabilitation for children located in the coastal region, Gladys has her hands full organising for quality-of-life improvements for persons living with disabilities through accessible medical care and social support.
Witnessing Stigma
Much like her work in occupational therapy, the role at APDK once again brought to her attention the day-to-day challenges that persons living with disabilities face. Some of the stigmas she has witnessed have included mothers being blamed for children born with disabilities, subjected to gender-based violence and abandoned. Her extensive work has brought her close to mothers who have been pushed out of homes and even received death threats from husbands infuriated at their children with disabilities being taken out in public.
Under Gladys’ leadership, APDK programs walk alongside parents and children to ensure that there is acceptance and dedication to care steps. While some children are rehabilitated to the point of no longer requiring medical intervention, she ensures that those with conditions such as cerebral palsy – which are likely long-term – have access to the continued care they need to achieve optimal wellbeing.
Facing Systemic Challenges Head-on
Beyond individual challenges, Gladys also plays an instrumental role in ensuring that structural challenges for people living with disabilities are addressed. Access to government services is still governed by possession of identity cards – documents which cost money that some from rural areas fail to raise. Without this registration, a lack of awareness about available services and the challenge of transport for those with mobility and financial challenges, many who need assistance are left out in the cold. Gladys champions programs that stand in the gap that is left by these overwhelming challenges.
She not only leads community outreach to identify those living with disabilities, but she also ensures that empowerment programs lead to better opportunity outcomes for persons with disabilities. The Innovation to Inclusion program begun in 2019 is just one initiative headed up by Gladys that pushes for skills development for persons living with disabilities and connecting them to employers. The program has equipped 194 participants with key office skills such as navigating emails and typesetting to meet job market demands.
For continuously seeking ways to support the wellbeing and access to opportunities for persons living with disabilities, Gladys Koech is a shining light for inclusivity in Kenya’s coastal region.
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