Rights commission decries marginalisation of persons with disabilities.

In the release, signed by CHRC President, James Mouangue Kobila, the institution said access to public employment for such persons remains a hurdle.

It said out of an estimated 360,000 civil servants recorded in 2025 by the Club des Jeunes Aveugles Réhabilités du Cameroun, CJARC, only 20,880 are persons living with disabilities, representing just 5.8 percent of the public workforce.

Prof Kobila said the number is critically low, compared to the national population of persons with disabilities, estimated at 3.4 million by the Ministry of Social Affairs. 

The gap, the statement noted, is evidence of deep-rooted structural barriers, including poor accessibility, inadequate training opportunities, lack of qualifications adapted to disability contexts, and systemic exclusion.

Such underrepresentation, Kobila noted, “undermines the economic, social, and professional empowerment of persons with disabilities, while reinforcing their vulnerability and dependence in Cameroon”. 

Exclusion of persons with disabilities from the public service which is one of the major sources of table employment, he wrote, has far-reaching consequences.

The Commission also highlighted multiple interlinked challenges, among them; access to eye care services which has remained insufficient and, in many cases, prohibitively expensive, particularly in rural and resource-limited areas. 

The situation, Kobila said, hampers early detection and treatment of visual impairments, increasing the risk of avoidable blindness and long-term disability.

Shortcomings in the education sector

Kobila noted that while the government has announced the creation of 720 inclusive schools nationwide as of January 2, 2026, the institutions often lack adapted teaching materials and adequately trained personnel. 

The institution cited the absence of Braille learning tools and embossing facilities in rural and remote areas. 

The situation, Prof Kobila opined, further deepens educational inequality, effectively excluding visually impaired children from meaningful learning opportunities.

Public spaces, the statement indicated, lack essential facilities such as Braille signage, audible mobility devices, and inclusive urban design. 

The situation, the rights commission boss noted, contributes to isolation and limiting independence for blind and visually impaired persons.

Acknowledges positives changes 

In the health sector, the Commission welcomed the ophthalmological consultation campaign held from December 17 to 18, 2025, in Oback, Okola Subdivision of the Centre Region.

Organised by the Magrabi ICO Cameroon Eye Institute in collaboration with local authorities, the Commission said, the initiative aimed to combat blindness and reduce costly medical evacuations for eye care.

It saluted a civic innovation launched on September 17, 2025, in Yaounde by Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, resulting a tactile envelope designed for visually impaired voters. 

The tool, complemented by the introduction of Braille ballots, the Commission wrote, enabled thousands of blind and visually impaired citizens to vote independently. It described the development as a major advance toward full equality in the exercise of electoral rights.

Social inclusion efforts, it said, were further reinforced by the launch of the 7th edition of the National Solidarity and Social Entrepreneurship Week (SESES) on January 10, 2025, by the Ministry of Social Affairs. 

The Commission also commended the role of civil society organizations. Among them CJARC, which organized an advocacy event on December 16, 2025, in Yaounde to denounce discrimination against persons with visual impairments in recruitment processes.

On recommendations, it call among other things the institution of a national inclusive recruitment policy, including the establishment of a minimum and progressive legal quota for the employment of persons with disabilities.

It appealed to government to accelerate the production and distribution of adapted teaching materials to ensure inclusive schools function effectively.

For digital accessibility, the Commission recommended that the Ministries of Posts and Telecommunications and that of Communication enforce mandatory accessibility standards.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3667 of Thursday January 08, 2026