ICT ministry calls for special committee for PWDS  

Digitalising Ugandans Sign Language (DUSL) project manager, Simon Eroku, Silas Ngabirano, education ministry official Dr Pamela Nizeyimana and DUSL project manager, Simon Eroku interacting during the consultative meeting on the new ICT policy for PWDs at Statistics House in Kampala yesterday. Photo by Lawrence Mulondo

To promote equality in use of technology, the Ministry of Information Communication Technology (ICT) has called for a special national committee of People With Disabilities (PWDs).

The ministry stressed that PWDs have for long been left out and that they need to be involved closely to understand their problems and come up with solutions.

This was suggested during a stakeholders' consultative meeting yesterday on the new ICT policy for PWDs at Statistics House in Kampala. 

All stakeholders who were from various ministries and agencies simultaneously agreed with the suggestion and it was adapted in the policy.

The policy which is in its final stages has been under formulation since 2016.

The ministry's assistant commissioner, Silas Ngabirano, explained that the body will be responsible for all issues of PWDs on ICT.

The committee will be responsible for outlining ICT problems faced by PWDs, develop solutions, lobby funds for their activities and pushing for their equality. 

It (committee) will be constituted of representatives from various government ministries including; ICT, education, gender, local government, civil society and disability groups.

According to the 2014 national population census, of there are 34 million people in the country, about 4.3 million have at least one disability. 

Ngabirano said the policy will be used to reduce the marginalisation of PWDs.

He said after consultations the policy will be handed over to the Cabinet for approval before the end of June 2018.

The policy also calls for access to ICTs by PWDs as government creates e-government services, e-publishing, accessible telecommunications' devices and services among others.

They also want local firms dealing in ICT products and services for PWDs to be given preferential treatment during procurement and in taxation.

The policy recommends the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), to revise the legal frame work to ensure that emergency communications services are accessible to PWDs.

It also calls for provision of PWDs technologies at work all places among the private sector.