According to 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 persons with disability hence a development concern. This Report showed that disability was more prevalent amongst women (15 per cent) than men (10 per cent); higher in rural areas (15 per cent) than in urban areas (12 per cent). This nearly correlated with the World Health Organization Report of 2010 which put the global disability prevalence rate at 15%.
Situation of Persons with Disabilities are still among the most neglected groups in the policy domain as well as in the private sphere. The majority of these persons face enormous economic, political, and social barriers that have an adverse impact on their physical, economic, social and intellectual development and wellbeing.
Many of them do not have access to basic needs such as health, education, experience multiple deprivations even within their family and are invisible in the national policy agenda. Women with disabilities experience the combined disadvantages associated with gender and disability, such as sexual and gender-based violence, limited access to education opportunities, limited productive economic opportunities, lower incomes and poverty (UNFPA, 2018). Girls and young women with disabilities have limited knowledge about their sexual and reproductive health and rights, and limited access to services. Girls and young women with disabilities are not seen as needing information about their sexual and reproductive health and rights or capable of making their own decisions about their sexual and reproductive lives (UNFPA, 2018). In all societies, the prevalence of disability increases as people age, 60 years and above, 29% experience a severe disability, a significant proportion. But, even among those aged between 30 and 50 years, 8 per cent report being severely disabled (Development Pathways, 2018). In Uganda, older persons with disabilities (65 years and above) constitute 2.1% of the population (NPA, 2018: unpublished information).
1.2. Children with disabilities, The Uganda Population and Housing Census indicated that the total population of all children aged 18years and below was 57.2% (19,874,000) of the total population. Considering that 5.82% of Ugandan Children are estimated to be children with disabilities, this translates to 2,027,148 children with disabilities (1,052,000 boys and 974,488 girls), (National Action Plan for Children with Disabilities 2016/17- 2020/21, MGLSD).
This is comparable to the estimated a prevalence of about 13%, that is, 2.5 million children living with a disability (UNICEF, 2014).
The major challenges for these children with disability not adequately attending school are; inadequate financial resources provided to responsible institutions at national and local level, insufficiently trained staff, inaccessible physical environment, (disability-unfriendly classrooms and latrines) communication and information means ( e.g. Lack sign language and Braille) as well as a shortage and unaffordability of assistive and mobility devices .(UNICEF, 2016:p9). Evidence from the United Nations Agencies shows that ethnic groups are scattered across Uganda, live in rural areas and are largely disadvantaged. Ethnic minorities women with disabilities tend to experience triple discrimination, are marginalized, have very limited access to property and majority are never included at decision making levels both within their structures and mainstream. As TGLC,
The common practice by Refugee Response Agencies is to blanket persons with disabilities among Persons with Special Needs (PSNs). These include girls and boys at a risk, unaccompanied children, persons with special health conditions, persons with special legal or protection needs, single women, older persons, persons with disabilities and women headed households. This practice makes it very difficult to assess needs of refugees with disabilities and to appropriately target them for inclusive
Persons with disabilities are more likely to experience adverse socioeconomic outcomes such as less education, poorer health outcomes, lower levels of employment, and higher poverty rates. Poverty may increase the risk of disability through malnutrition, inadequate access to education and health care, unsafe working conditions, a polluted environment, and lack of access to safe water and sanitation. Disability may also increase the risk of poverty, through lack of employment and education opportunities, lower wages, and increased cost of living with a disability.
Barriers to full social and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities include inaccessible physical environments and transportation, the unavailability of assistive devices and technologies, non-adapted means of communication, gaps in service delivery, and discriminatory prejudice and stigma in society.
Religious Factors
In many developing countries religious practices impact on society’s attitudes about disabled persons. These attitudes have tended to limit the role that disabled people could play in society. In Uganda some religions believe that disabled people are seen to be disabled because of some sin committed in the past, or due to a sin committed by the family. As a consequence, many disabled people beg, as it is expected of them.
Dropping coins into the blind beggar’s bowl may lead to avoidance of punishment in the afterlife. Disabled beggars in Uganda do not hesitate to remind the public of this possibility; some of them do not even thank the donor since they are aware that the interaction is merely to acquire credit in the afterlife. Begging is seen as the rightful duty of the disabled person. If a family has a disabled child they see it as their duty to exploit the disability for financial gain and some intend to use them as sacrifice to gain financial wealth.
But TGLC, we are committed to assuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities in a way that allows them maintain their dignity and independence