Kadaga says although the government advocates for employment of persons with disabilities, it rarely employs the disabled.

She also expressed worries regarding the unemployment trends among persons with disabilities and called upon both the government and private institutions to ensure that they effectively employ them.

Kadaga was speaking during the international day for persons with disabilities in Kampala.

Meanwhile, Persons with disabilities have today petitioned the Speaker demanding for the amendment of the all major bills concerning them.

They say they also need inclusive education policy 2011 which will enable them to attain education like other able bodied people.

The post Kadaga appeals for more efforts to empower people with disabilities first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Kadaga says there are many persons with disabilities who pass with good grades but cannot make it to the university due to lack of funds.

Kadaga says once such a fund is put in place it will help reduce the levels of illiteracy among persons with disabilities.

In a related development the speaker promises to consider amending bills concerning persons with disability like the building control bill next year.

She says she want persons with disabilities to enjoy their full rights just like other able bodied Ugandans.

The post Kadaga wants special fund for education of PWDs first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Women Leadership and Disability Scholarships; Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD – USA) annually brings together approximately 30 women leaders with disabilities to strengthen leadership skills, create new visions and build international networks of support.

During the 3-week program in USA, participants take part in workshops and discussions, conduct on-site visits, and participate in team-building activities, to explore challenges and exchange strategies for increasing leadership opportunities and employment of women and girls with disabilities internationally.

Program activities focus on priority issues for women with disabilities, including:

• Leadership for economic empowerment
• Rights and opportunities
• Career planning and higher education
• Employment strategies
• Health and family issues
• Using the media and coalition building
• Organizational development and sustainability
• Inclusive international development programs
• Cultural and team-building
• Mentorship and networking
• Goals and action plans

Limited scholarships may be available based on applicant’s demonstrated financial need. Application deadline is March 1.

Who Can Apply

• Emerging and established women leaders with disabilities from around the world who demonstrate:
• Personal experience with disability, an understanding of issues, and a commitment to working for the rights of women and girls with disabilities
• Membership in an organization led by and for people with disabilities, or by and for women, with particular attention to issues of women and girls with disabilities; or employment in a business or program committed to inclusion of women and girls with disabilities
• Commitment to and capacity for increasing leadership opportunities and employment of women with disabilities in the community and/or country

 Scholarship Includes

• Round-trip airplane tickets for participants to travel from home countries to USA
• Travel health insurance during the WILD program
• Food, lodging, program activities and accessible public transportation during the WILD program
• Disability-related accommodations, including sign language interpreters, funding for personal assistants, etc.

For more information and application, see; Women Leadership and Disability Scholarships.

The post Apply for Women Leadership and Disability Scholarships first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

“When you go for HIV test, they (health workers) wonder why you are carrying out the test. They think we are not sexually active. When we also go for family planning services, they curiously look at you,” the women said. “These are some of the reasons why we don’t go for family planning or why we produce our children from our homes.”

They noted that many men don’t want to use condoms, deny paternity of children born by women with disabilities, and don’t want to identify with their disabled spouses.

Other challenges pointed out were inaccessibility to health centres, inaccessible labour beds rudeness of health workers towards expectant mothers. The sensitization was made through two workshops; one targeting women and the other targeting sexual and reproductive health service providers including health workers, traditional birth attendants and local leaders, who were trained about the needs and concerns of women with disabilities when it comes to sexual and reproductive health. The women were sensitized about managing their relationships and also used the workshop as a platform for sharing their sexual experiences. However, the women were more excited when it came to training in using a female condom the majority of whom had never seen.

The purpose of the sensitization was to equip the women with skills and knowledge to manage their sexual and reproductive health to minimise problems related to unwanted pregnancies, having multiple partners, engaging in unprotected sex, among others.

The post Excitement as women with disabilities are sensitized about their sexual rights first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Youth Exchange and Study (YES) is a program that was established in October, 2002 and sponsored by US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) to provide scholarships for high school students (15-17 years) from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend up to one academic year in the U.S.

The program is vital to expanding communication between the people of the United States and the partner countries in the interest of promoting mutual understanding and respect.

Students live with host families, attend high school, engage in activities to learn about American society and values, acquire leadership skills, and help educate Americans about their countries and cultures.

The program can support students with disabilities and encourages their participation. ECA works with Mobility International (MIUSA) to provide students with disabilities with leadership-building workshops and appropriate information and support as needed to enhance their year in America.

From 2003 to the present a total of 3,480 students have participated in the YES program. During the coming academic year 2009-10, approximately 1,000 students will join the program from: Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia and other countries

Upon their return the students apply their leadership skills in their home countries. In addition, alumni groups have formed and been involved with many community service activities including clothing drives, mentoring younger children and English teaching, immunization drives, and much more.

The YES program is currently administered by four organizations and their partners in each country.

AFS-USA implements the YES program in Egypt, Ghana, and Kenya

Additional information

For more information and application, see: Youth Exchange and Study Program Website

For YES/AFS program news, please visit the YES/AFS website

Also see more: College Scholarships » Academic Scholarships » Education Scholarships – Scholarships and Grants

The post Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES) first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Several Government technicians and politicians in Uganda have pledged to the disabled community in Uganda that their long wish will be granted. The minister for Elderly and disabled Sulaiman Madada says that the disabled should bare it in mind that the promise by the government to them will all be fulfilled by the National Resistance Movement government.

The minister revealed that annexing the Standards to the Building Control Act was inserted into the Building Control Bill that has already been approved by the Cabinet of Uganda.

The disabled MP for Buganda region Alex Ndeezi says that the disabled community in Uganda is so far grateful to the government for its role in the development of the Standards, and the new task of making sure that the Standards are made part of the law. The MP says that PWDS strongly believe that the government will not retreat or surrender before this dream is realised. Ndeezi says that MPs in Uganda Parliament have also committed themselves to support the Bill when it comes to the House.

The MP says that making the Standards part of the law ought to be a big struggle as it is not a privilege of PWDs but rather intended to benefit all people in Uganda, as accessibility is a right to all. When the Standards are legalized, it will be to the advantage of Government, PWDs, MPs, and every other citizen, because everybody including PWDs will be able to access the physical environment without barriers, hence increasing their participation in social, political and economic opportunities necessary for development. What a nice gift it would be for all in 2012 when the Building Control Act in enacted and taking care of the accessibility needs and concerns of all Ugandans.

The post Uganda government gives Persons with disabilities gifts first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

However, these are not the only factors that made this launch distinctive but the presence of the Vice President, Edward Ssekandi who has launched the project. The launch was also blessed and witnessed by the State Minister in Charge of the Elderly and Disability, Hon. Sulaiman Madada, MPs representing People with Disabilities (PWDs) and several other dignitaries from the central Government and Kayunga District local administration.

“I hereby launch the Membership Empowerment Project), a three year project operational in 12 districts and supported by some development partners,” Sekandi said and added.

“It is my strong conviction that this will reinforce the existing agencies supporting our persons with disabilities.” The project seeks to make sure that persons with physical disabilities enjoy equal rights in all aspects of life and are included equally into development programs and projects such as NAADS, Prosperity for All, Northern Uganda Social Action Fund, among others.

The project is implemented in 12 districts including Kayunga, Kiboga, Mubende (central region); Mbarara, Bushenyi and Kisoro (western); Arua, Oyam and Kitgum (northern); Busia, Palissa and Kaberamaido in the east. It is supported by three organisation of persons with disabilities in Denmark: Danish Handicap Forbund; Danish Brain Injury Support Association; and Disabled Sports Organisation Denmark.

Also at the launch, UNAPD’s treasurer Ark Goffin Candria, handed over a copy of the Accessibility Standards to the vice president and asked him to support UNAPD in her endeavour to make the Standards part of the upcoming Building Control Act. Candria noted that one of the biggest challenges persons with physical disabilities face is the inaccessible physical environment. He explained that most of the services are offered in inaccessible building and places, making it impossible for many PWDs to access services. He said with the adoption of the Standards as part of the law, UNAPD hopes that the law will be observed and enforced by the relevant agencies to make building and other facilities usable to all people. Sekandi hailed UNAPD for coming up with the Standards and pledged to push for annexing of the same to the Building Control Act. He also handed over three wheel chairs donated by UNAPD to persons with physical disabilities. Sekandi also   commissioned the International Day for Persons with Disabilities in Kayunga, ahead of the national celebrations that were observed in Lira district on December 3, 2012. The function was organised by Sulaiman Madada, the MP for Bbaale County in Kayunga, partly to thank his voters for reelecting him into Parliament and to commission several development initiatives in the district. PWDs MPs Hellen Asamo, Alex Ndeezi and William Nokrach attended the ceremony. Several officials from the central Government and Kayunga district local government witnessed the ceremony.

The post Many dances, lots of food, thousands of people at VP Edward Kiwanuka Sekandi’s project launch first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The head of surgeon at Mulago hospital Dr. Michael Muhumuza said that Pamela Asiimwe will recover despite of sustaining serious injuries and the permanent disabilities will be determined after six months.

Pamela Asiimwe is now in 3A ward in Mulago hospital bed 9 and she is still in pain.

Asiimwe’s hands were cut in front of their father Ephraim Byakwaga, on December 9th after her husband had threatened to kill her several times if at any time he finds her talking to any one at work place.

Deus Twinamasiko thought that he had killed Asiimwe and he ran to the Police to report himself where was detained.

The post Mulago Doctors join patient’s cut off hands first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.