on Thursday 12 November 2026 A public hearing on disability inclusion was held in Mogadishu, Somalia, bringing together Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Members of the Federal Parliament of Somalia, representatives of the Federal Government of Somalia, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), government ministries, and the National Disability Agency (NDA).
The meeting was chaired by Hon. Ilahan Ali Gasar, Member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), alongside Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Jama, Chairperson of the National Disability Agency (NDA) of Somalia.
The hearing provided an important platform for persons with disabilities and their representative organizations to engage directly with national and regional policymakers, parliamentarians, government institutions, and EALA representatives on issues affecting their rights, inclusion, and participation in society.
During the hearing, representatives of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) actively participated in discussions, presenting their views, experiences, concerns, and recommendations on key disability-related issues. The discussions focused on strengthening disability inclusion and ensuring that the voices, lived experiences, and priorities of persons with disabilities are meaningfully reflected in national policies, legislation, regional frameworks, and decision-making processes.
The Somali Disability Network (SDN) led the group representing persons with disabilities and presented key comments, concerns, and recommendations developed through group discussions. SDN highlighted the importance of meaningful participation, equal opportunities, accessibility, protection of disability rights, and the inclusion of persons with disabilities in governance, development, and regional integration processes.
To facilitate inclusive participation and gather diverse perspectives, participants were divided into four groups to discuss key disability inclusion issues and develop recommendations for consideration during the public hearing. Each group shared its contributions and proposed actions aimed at addressing barriers faced by persons with disabilities and promoting their equal participation in society.
The participation of Members of the Federal Parliament of Somalia, Members of the East African Legislative Assembly, government representatives, and disability organizations created an opportunity for direct dialogue between persons with disabilities and decision-makers at both national and regional levels.
The public hearing marked an important opportunity to strengthen collaboration between Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, government institutions, parliamentarians, and regional representatives. It also reaffirmed the importance of ensuring that persons with disabilities are not merely beneficiaries of policies and programmed but active participants in shaping decisions that affect their lives.
The engagement represents an important step towards advancing disability inclusion in Somalia and strengthening the representation and participation of persons with disabilities in East African Community (EAC) regional integration processes.
this community union will help Somalia PWDs and OPDs have role in the region with their fellow PWDs and OPDs for the education, employment, sports and development programs
