We are planning for you, NPA tells PWDs

PWDs     PLANNING

The National Planning Authority (NPA) has expressed urgent need to explicitly formulate targets that will ensure that current inequalities and exclusion experienced by the majority of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are redressed.

Judith Mutabazi, a senior planner for population, gender and social development has revealed that the third National Development Plan will direct that "persons with disabilities must have enhanced access to quality education and employment.

"The NDP recognises that many persons with disabilities are not able to develop to their full potential due to a number of barriers that have to be addressed, which include physical barriers, information barriers, communication barriers and attitudinal barriers," she said.

Mutabazi made the remarks while launching the new National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU) strategic plan 2020-2024 at Golf Course Hotel in Kampala on Thursday.

She guaranteed that efforts to ensure relevant and accessible skills development programmes for people with disabilities, coupled with equal opportunities for their productive and gainful employment have been prioritized in the upcoming national development plan.

"The PWDs make up to 13% of the total population and if they are marginalized, it means that country has failed in its fight against poverty," she explained.

Mutabazi also called for accelerated efforts to ensure the mainstreaming of disability considerations into all facets of planning, service delivery and development interventions aimed at fighting unemployment, inequality and poverty.

While unveiling the sh46bn new five-year strategic plan, NUDIPU boss Edson Ngirabakunzi said the plan focus on strengthening the socio-economic empowerment of persons with disabilities in their communities.

"Whereas the government has a National Development Plan providing for a framework for national planning to eradicate poverty, it has not been very specific on how PWDs could come out of poverty," Ngirabakunzi noted.

He added that NUDIPU through the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) program will create awareness on disability issues and the need for increasing their access to social services at the community level.

"The programme therefore focuses on improving livelihood of PWDs through empowerment in terms of skills and competencies in managing viable income generating activities as well as empowering PWD households to be able to meet their basic needs," he explained.

Among other issues the plan would focus, Ngirabakunzi listed influencing policies of government and other actors on inclusiveness to address the needs of PWDs and strengthening their capacities to deliver on their mandates.

"We will continue to advocate for implementation of existing disability frameworks for the benefit of persons with disabilities and to establish and strengthen networking and partnership with various stakeholders including government," he said.

He added that NUDIPU will strive to continuously learn and adapt in the ever-changing socio-economic and political context to ensure that the disability empowerment models adopted are relevant and effective.

The commissioner disability and elderly at gender ministry Sam Masaaba reported that government was implementing a number of programmes targeting persons with disabilities such as the Special Grant, the Community Rehabilitation Programme, as well as institutional vocational rehabilitation to empower persons with disabilities with employable skills.

 
"Government is also working towards the improvement of special grant allocated to the PWDs at local government level," he noted.

He advised PWDs on partnership urging them to engage in mature relationship, especially with government for the development of the disability movement.

Dorcus Katumwebaze programme director at Norwegian Association of Disabled (NAD) noted with concern the limited availability of social amenities by persons living with disability, citing education as a major concern, which he says, needs to be addressed with the right training and attitude.

"The moment a child or adult is identified with any form of disability, there should be systems to cater for such a person to live a full life as a citizen of this country," Katumwebaze said.