Refugees with disabilities call for inclusion in govt programmes
“Refugees with disabilities have no access to gainful employment. Therefore, we call upon the government to include refugees with disabilities in economic activities. Let’s empower them and include them in our society,” Muombamungu said.
Some of the refugees with disabilities during the celebrations to mark International Day of People with Disabilities in Kampala. (Courtesy photo)
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The Association of Refugees with Disabilities (ARD) is calling on the government to include refugees with disabilities in national programs for education, health, and financial inclusion.
The association made the call on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, as they joined the rest of the world to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, celebrated every December 3.
ARD Executive Director James Muombamungu said the day is significant because it allows refugees with disabilities to come together, recognise their efforts, and highlight existing gaps in inclusion.
Addressing journalists in Kampala, he noted that humanitarian crises severely affect refugees with disabilities, especially regarding access to food assistance.
He added that many refugees with disabilities cannot engage in farming, the main economic activity in most resettlement camps, yet food funding has significantly reduced.
“Refugees with disabilities have no access to gainful employment. Therefore, we call upon the government to include refugees with disabilities in economic activities. Let’s empower them and include them in our society,” Muombamungu said.
He further noted that refugee settlements lack inclusive schools, while available schools are located far from the camps, making access difficult for children with disabilities.
Hassan Mulondo, a member of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, said most refugees with disabilities lack access to information and government programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM).
“Persons with disabilities have a gain of 10% on the PDM programme, but this is only for natives. Refugees with disabilities are not catered for. This is a huge barrier to socio-economic transformation,” Mulondo said.
He also criticised Uganda’s education curriculum, saying it is designed for Ugandan learners with disabilities and does not accommodate refugees from countries where different languages are used.
“The medium of communication is English, yet in other countries, children are taught in different languages,” he said.
The 2025 Miss Ability Western Uganda winner, Jennifer Kubawo Bumali, noted that many schools still lack disability-friendly facilities such as accessible toilets, sign language interpreters, and inclusive sports programmes, adding that people with disabilities face discrimination in the job market.
“In most cases, we are not given a chance to work because we have disabilities, yet we also have the ability to perform like others. I implore the government to employ sign language interpreters in schools so that we are included,” she said.
Lubaga Division Town Clerk, John Bosco Bashinyora, said Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has a strategic plan for inclusivity and that the government has enacted laws to support refugees with disabilities.
Mercy Florence, Head of Gender, Child Protection and Human Rights Advocacy at the Norwegian Refugee Council, called on stakeholders to implement existing government programmes rather than leaving them on paper.
She condemned stigma against persons with disabilities and urged the government to improve access to information for refugees with disabilities.