A sh100m project has been earmarked to create awareness on the UN convention on the rights of People with Disabilities (PWDS).
In September last year, Uganda ratified The UN Convention on the rights of PWDS, which seeks to prohibit discrimination against the disabled and provide for their consideration in economic and development strategies of UN member countries.
The project, supported by American based Disability Rights Fund, will be implemented by Mental Health Uganda as the lead agency in a coalition with Uganda National Action on Physical Disability and National Association of the Deaf blind in Uganda.
The three local NGOs advocate for the rights and wellbeing of People with disabilities.
The one-year project is to be first implemented in Arua, Budaka, Amuru, Masindi, Rakai, and Ntungamo districts.
The executive director, Julius Lutaakome Kayiira, said the project would empower people with disabilities to advocate for their rights.
He noted that many disabled are denied their rights because they don’t know what rights they are entitled to.
Rights enshrined in the UN convention include rights to health services, employment, education, accessing all community resources as other citizens and the right to associate.
Others are the right to have a family and children and the right to legal capacity.
Kayiira urged the public to respect the rights of the disabled and to consider them when planning.
“On the whole, disabled persons are considered second-class citizens. They are denied the rights to care, treatment, social services, education and participation on a social level as well as in development,” he explained.
Kayiira, however, said with the sensitisation, they expected the public to change positively towards the disabled.
He explained that the enforcement of disability friendly laws has remained poor because of lack of awareness.
“Persons with mental health problems are often subjected to inhuman treatment. The deaf and the blind are not provided for at all beyond their families and those with physical disabilities equally struggle with inaccessible environments,” he said.
