Outbox, BrighterMonday to boost Digital Inclusion for PWDs

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Experts are calling for concerted efforts from relevant stakeholders to eliminate hindrances limiting persons with disability from accessing key projects aimed at benefiting them.

According to Dorothy Najjingo, Incubators and Accelerators Process Lead at Outbox Uganda, PWDs still lack access to finances and are digitally excluded

Najjingo was speaking on Monday at the Sheraton Hotel Kampala during a symposium on disability inclusion under the theme: financial inclusion, a key to social and economic empowerment for persons with disability.

She explained that they partnered with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development ahead of the 50th commemoration of the annual disability inclusion day in respect to the International Disability Day to be held in Mubende.

“As Outbox, we partnered with the Ministry of Gender specifically because under the 10X Program, we are enabling micro, small, and medium enterprises to fully participate within the digital economy with 125,000 persons with disabilities targeted to be moved to the digital economy,” Najjingo stated.

Pamela Kabagezi, the Country’s Programs Lead, BrighterMonday Uganda, stresses that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure that persons with disability can access the same economic opportunities as other Ugandans.

She noted that policymakers can no longer treat disability inclusivity as charity but instead ensure that every PWD is digitally included and has access to financial services.

“Today, our takeaway will be how to ensure that financial inclusion is not just something we're doing as part of charity, but it is a right for all persons with disabilities to be able to access the same opportunities that the next Uganda will have.”

In many parts of the world, persons with disabilities continue to face various forms of exclusion and discrimination. Access to education, employment, and basic social services is often limited, leaving many persons with disabilities feeling marginalised and powerless.

One of the key areas of exclusion is access to digital technologies, which can greatly enhance social and economic inclusion for persons with disabilities. However, due to various barriers, including a lack of awareness, training, and infrastructure, many persons with disabilities are left behind in the digital age.

According to a 2018 report by the Uganda Communications Commission on access and usage of information and communication technologies by People with disability, only 23.1% of PWDs’ enterprises have websites, 1% have desktop computers, and 31.1% have email addresses.