PWDs | DISABILITY | DAY

KAMPALA - Uganda will on December 3, 2022, join the rest of the World to commemorate the International Day of Disabled Persons aimed at promoting their rights and well-being in society.

The day, which is expected to be graced by Vice-President Jessica Alupo, will be celebrated in Kole district under the theme: Leadership and Mindset Change, a Tool for Inclusive Development.

According to National Council for People with Disabilities (NCPD) chairperson Yona Wasswa, the day will provide a platform for the Government and private sector to reflect on the efforts made to address the concerns of the PWDs.

“On that day, we shall demonstrate to the World our potential and abilities as PWDs,” he told New Vision today, November 23, 2022, at NCPD head offices in Kampala.

Wasswa observed that Uganda has a legal and policy framework that favours PWDs, but that it is not being implemented at the grassroots level.

He said the people who are supposed to implement the policies are the courts of law, Police and the public, among others.

Wasswa pointed out that the Building Control Act spells out how the buildings should be constructed so that there is access to the PWDs, but it is not being implemented by most of the owners.

He encouraged the PWDs to form groups of five at the sub-counties so that they can benefit from government programmes such as the Parish Development model, where 10% of the resources are allocated to them.

Wasswa also revealed that the Government releases sh14b for the PWDs annually.

“PWDs should form groups of five at the sub-counties and the money will be sent directly from the gender ministry to the beneficiaries' accounts,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Cole Naboth, a member of the council, said they will use the day for creating awareness about the new policies put in place by government so that PWDs can benefit from them.

“We shall focus on education, infrastructure, employment, policy and law framework, challenges PWDs face and opportunities available,” he said.

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics Census Report (UBOS 2016) indicated that 12.4% of the Ugandan population lives with some form of disability implying that approximately 4.5 million Ugandans are PWDs, hence a development concern.