Meru has the highest number of people living with disability, the Kenya Union of the Blind has said.
Union's programme officer Derick Shimoli on Tuesday said the county has 8.5 per cent of its residents living with a disability.
Most of the cases involve visual and hearing challenges.
Shimoli said women with disabilities face a lot of challenges.
“They are not given space in the society because of male chauvinism and are looked down upon because of disability. They cannot even access funds, grants meant to help them because of this barrier,” Shimoli said.
He spoke on the sidelines of a convention of Rights of Persons with Disability at Three Steers Hotel in Meru.
Elizabeth Katuba, a program officer at Site Enterprises Promotions said they were advocating for women with disability to become independent.
The NGO aims at promoting employment and economic growth among small-scale producers.
“We are creating awareness among actors of persons with disability and we have involved the county government and the Ministry of Gender," Katuba said.
She said women in grassroots should come out and be registered to benefit from government and lobby groups working to uplift their livelihoods.
She said the were targeting Meru because it has the highest number of hearing disabilities according to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
“Women with disability should know their rights and end stigma and discrimination to get economic empowerment through employment or business,” Katuba said.
edited by peter obuya