Bonface Massah has extensive experience working with groups of persons with disabilities and over time has provided evidence of the huge gap when it comes to equal access to human right issues. As a person with a disability, he feels that inclusive public policy is important in empowering persons with disabilities to realise their rights and demand them.
His interests are in contributing to the promotion of evidence based disability program and monitoring best practice to empower persons with disabilities through creating an inclusive atmosphere in policy and programs where they can fully enjoy their human rights in development programmes. As a person with albinism, he hopes to raise the status of persons with albinism who for so long have been left out in disability programs and recently faced killings and abduction. He has always fought for the rights of person with disabilities and consistently lobbied and advocated for equal human rights and respect of the law regardless of impairment, promoting strong self-representation of persons with disabilities in the region.
Bonface has personally participated and contributed in policy formulation processes, disability bills, the Disability ACT 2012, the National Policy on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, the UN-CRPD domestication process 2009-2011, the review by the Malawi Council for the Handicapped ACT 1971, and the MDGs review beyond 2015.
He is Executive director of the Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi, and his contribution to the promotion of rights of persons with disabilities has been through; Developing information booklets on albinism for teachers and children/parents; Research work on inclusive education, participation of persons with disabilities in development strategies formation. 2009-2012.
His advocacy and lobbying have helped in promoting Education of children with albinism through curriculum inclusion of albinism in teacher training colleges and has also conducted awareness meetings in communities on understanding albinism. Through Health Promotion he has established links with the Albinism Foundation of Netherlands, University of Chicago and Coventry University working on sourcing sun screen, and setting up albinism clinics in hospitals and also research.
Bonface has also worked in an advisory role to DIWA and facilitated workshops on inclusive programming focusing on women and girls with disability, meaningful participation in development and self-representation. His work in community based rehabilitation programmes has focused on hearing impairment, visual impairment and developmental impairments, and has supported in areas of livelihood- working on inclusive vocational skills training with local artisans and colleges.
He has also facilitated teacher trainings on disability and handling learners with disability in basic education to promote inclusion so that all learners learn well in classroom. A key element in all his work has been on counselling and role models. He has also supported persons with disabilities in the rehabilitation process through mobility trainings, stimulation and speech practice.