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The National Union of Disabled Persons in Uganda (NUDIPU) has requested parents to make disabled persons available for census to enable the government to have a proper plan for them going forward.

The executive director for East Africa Centre for Disability Law and Policy (CDLP), Dr Abdul Busulwa made the request at a press conference at NUDIPU offices in Bukoto, Kampala on May 8, 2024.

“During this exercise, most people hide the disabled, which is bad because we need to get the right number of disabled people across the country for proper planning by government and for organisations representing the disabled,” he appealed.

He, therefore, called upon parents, care takers, and guardians to avail persons with disabilities for counting, requesting them to desist from the habit of hiding persons with disabilities.

Busulwa said it is important for the disabled to participate in the census, saying they contribute to the national development.

The national population census is scheduled for May 10 to 19, this year. A population census is a total count of all persons within given territorial boundaries and the housing conditions under which they live.

Martin Senogga, the NUDIPU programme manager, John Chris Ninsiima, the NUDIPU's programmes director and Dr. Abdul Busulwa, the East Africa Centre for Disability Law and Policy, discussing after a press conference on population census in Ntinda, Kampala, on May 8, 2024. (Photo by Michael Odeng)

Martin Senogga, the NUDIPU programme manager, John Chris Ninsiima, the NUDIPU's programmes director and Dr. Abdul Busulwa, the East Africa Centre for Disability Law and Policy, discussing after a press conference on population census in Ntinda, Kampala, on May 8, 2024. (Photo by Michael Odeng)

The NUDIPU director programmes, John Chris Ninsiima, said they gave Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) some sign language interpreters to assist during the census across the country.

He said this will improve data collection for all categories of disabled persons including those with hearing impairment.

The census comes at a time when Uganda is grappling with the challenge of disaggregated data on persons with disabilities.

This is evident in the 2016 observations by the United Nations Committee on the rights of persons and disabilities when it recommended to Uganda for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of disaggregated data about persons with disabilities and the barriers they face.

According to UBOS, the census figures will play a critical role in guiding planning, policy formulation, and programme implementation as well as monitoring development progress in line with the national goals and objectives.

“We recognise government’s efforts on the collection of disability disaggregated data, and we thank the government and UBOS for working collaboratively with NUDIPU and the organisations of persons with disability together with the National Council for Persons with disabilities and gender ministry fort making sure that the census reflects various disability categories,” Ninsiima lauded.

He noted that in the last census only three categories of disabled persons were considered, which included those who are physically challenged, the blind and those with hearing impairment.

Ninsiima, however, said in this census, they will consider “very short people” and persons with albinism.

According to the 2014 population census report, persons with disabilities were 12.4% of the total population.

However, Ninsiima is optimistic that the number will increase due to many causes of disabilities including accidents.

In order to realise the effective counting of persons with disabilities in the upcoming national population census, NUDIPU has called upon the disabled to be readily available for the census.

NUDIPU also called upon the leaders of persons with disabilities at the national and district level to mobilise the disabled to be counted.

“The community leaders should work together with leaders of the disabled persons during the census,” Ninsiima requested.

NUDIPU

NUDIPU is an indigenous umbrella NGO of persons with disabilities (PWDs) that brings together all disability categories including sensory, physically, and mentally impaired persons.

Do not hide disabled children during census – NUDIPU

Busulwa said it is important for the disabled to participate in the census, saying they contribute to the national development.

Martin Senogga, the NUDIPU programme manager addressing the press on population census in Ntinda, Kampala. Besides him is John Chris Ninsiima, the NUDIPU's programmes director. (Photo by Michael Odeng)

Michael Odeng

Journalist @New Vision