The Socio-Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SEEPD) Program of the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services has called for greater employment opportunities for young people with disabilities, warning that discrimination and inaccessible workplaces continue to prevent many from fully participating in the labour market.
The call was made in a statement issued by SEEPD Program Manager Awa Jacques Chirac M. to commemorate the International Youth Day 2026, celebrated under the global theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”
The statement says the theme is a reminder that although young people may live in different circumstances, they share common aspirations, including access to quality education, meaningful employment, dignity, participation in society and opportunities to build a better future.
However, SEEPD says these aspirations remain difficult to achieve for many young Cameroonians with disabilities.
According to the program, available data and lived experiences show that young persons with disabilities continue to record significantly lower employment rates than their non-disabled peers, even when they have similar or higher qualifications.
The organisation argues that the problem is not necessarily a lack of education, skills or ambition among young people with disabilities. Instead, it points to discrimination, inaccessible workplaces and institutional barriers as major factors limiting their participation in the labour market.
“Too often, disability is still seen before potential,” the statement says, stressing that such a situation should neither be considered inevitable nor acceptable.
SEEPD said a recent labour market analysis conducted by its program paints a worrying picture of the difficulties faced by young people with disabilities in finding employment and competing on equal terms with others.
The program is therefore calling for stronger implementation of existing laws protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.
It says the existence of legislation is not enough if those rights cannot be translated into practical opportunities and measurable improvements in the lives of persons with disabilities.
The statement also highlights the role of young innovators in promoting inclusion. It cites the work of 23-year-old Fopa Kuete Duclaire, whose “InReach” technology is helping members of the deaf community access digital content in real time.
SEEPD says such innovations demonstrate the potential of young people with disabilities and the importance of creating an environment where their skills and ideas can contribute to national development.
The organisation is calling on the government to strengthen coordination between institutions to ensure that existing legal protections produce real results.
It also wants public employment programs, internship schemes and entrepreneurship initiatives to become more accessible to young persons with disabilities instead of creating systems where exclusion continues.
The private sector, SEEPD says, also has an important role to play by recognising that disability does not determine a person's ability to contribute productively to the workplace.
The program is equally calling on civil society organisations, organisations of persons with disabilities, academic institutions and development partners to challenge stereotypes and expand opportunities for skills development, entrepreneurship, digital inclusion and decent work.
SEEPD warns that changing policies without changing public attitudes will not be enough to achieve lasting inclusion.
As Cameroon joins the rest of the world to mark International Youth Day, the programme says young people's different circumstances should not be used as a justification for unequal opportunities.
It is calling for youth empowerment programs to include every young Cameroonian, including those living with disabilities.
The statement concludes with a call for a shift from promises to practical opportunities, echoing the disability rights principle: “Nothing Without Us.”
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