The MP for PWDs Hajjat Sofia Nalule says that when the government empowers people they are in essence putting them in a position where they can identify and prioritize their needs and lobby the Government and civil society for support in addressing their needs.

The MP Sofia Nalule also decried the Government’s failure to make its buildings and services accessible to all people including the disabled persons.

She pointed out the Ministry of Education headquarters, hospitals, and roads punctuated by numerous potholes. She added that many people also can’t access ATMs , taxis and buses.

Nalule urged concerned people to demonstrate the need to have all public places accessible by refusing to attend meetings organised in inaccessible places or going to places that are inaccessible.

Nalule also called on persons with physical disability to emulate the deaf and the blind who celebrate their national days that attract influential people who advance their causes. Several stakeholders including PWDs, MPs, and representatives of the ministries of Education and Gender, among others attended the conference in Kampala where Nalule reveled his heart.

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Before the launch, participants were inducted into the project and highlight about physical disabilities, with emphasis on how to prevent people from becoming disabled. The purpose of the activity was to officially launch the project and seek support for the project from key stakeholders.

The District Community Development Officer, District Engineer, District Education Officer, District Executive Committee of Kapchorwa District Association of People with Physical Disabilities, Children with Disabilities, their parents, Chairperson Kapchorwa District Union of PWDs, Chairman District Council for Disability, councilors for PWDs, also witnessed the launch. Prior to the launch, courtesy visits were made to the relevant local government officers who will play a great role in the implementation of this project together with Uganda National Action on Physical Disability, including the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Many officers were given a copy of Accessibility Standards, and pledged to use the Standards to ensure that new constructions take into account the accessibility needs of PWDs.

The CAO pledged to ensure that school furniture such as desks and toilets that are soon going to be made using the School Facilities Grant are accessible. He also added that the district is about to construct community facilities such as schools, toilets and classrooms using NUSAF 2 funds, and promised to make these accessible to Children with disabilities. The participants were excited with the project that seeks to ensure that Children with disabilities access education as a key to their success and pledged to support the project to realise its goal. It was noted that the vision of Kapchorwa education department is “access to equitable, qualitative and relevant education including CWDs”, a manifestation that Children with disabilities are highly targeted.

The District Education Department has officials trained in special needs education. The District Inspector of Schools specialized in sign language while the Senior Education Officer specialized in mental retardation. This is an opportunity for the project to benefit from these officers. The chairman of Kapchorwa Association for People with Physical Disabilities, Labu Arap Labu, appreciated the project and called upon all stakeholders and officials in the line department to supplement the project. Many people in attendance appreciated the CAO for his commitment to support the project.

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While launching the project in Masaka today, the District LC5 Vice Chairman, Hajji Jamil Miwanda, said the project will support the district to mobilise children with disabilities  to go to schools, change the negative attitude of people towards Children with Disabilities and also promote accessibility to school facilities.

He called on parents of Children with Disabilities not to neglect and under estimate the potential of their children in regard to succeeding in education. The launching ceremony that took place at Maria Flo Hotel was witnessed by Kampala district technical staff, PWDs councilors and the media in Uganda.

The purpose of the activity was to officially launch the project and seek support for the project from key stakeholders. Before the launch, the participants were oriented into physical disability and also inducted into the project. The participants were concerned that the number of persons with disabilities is increasing yet the country is developing.

They asked the Government to design and implement several interventions to prevent disability. Prior to the launch, courtesy visits were made to key local government staff that will be crucial in the implementation of this project, including the Chief Administrative Officer. The CAO appreciated the project and was given a copy of Accessibility Standards. He was asked to use it to enforce construction of the buildings in the district following the guidelines laid out in the Standards. Participants were excited about the project aiming at ensuring that CWDs access education.

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The Standards are a guide to architects, civil engineers, constructors and property developers on how to construct buildings and facilities suitable for every one’s use including persons with disabilities.

“I really congratulate and respect you for producing these guidelines. I have no objection to making the Standards part of the law. I am happy that you have come early to discuss this with me. I will make sure that we do what you want. Also keep in touch with Parliament to support the Bill when it comes to the House for debate,” the minister said. This was in a meeting between UNAPD, Works Ministry and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. Sulaiman Madada the minister in charge of elderly and disability in the Gender Ministry arranged and attended this meeting together with officials from his ministry. The Gender Ministry was so instrumental in the development of the Standards that were launched in 2008. Byandala said that he personally acknowledges the challenges PWDs go through in regard to accessibility and emphasized that accessibility is for all.

“I have also started to experience accessibility challenges because of age,” he says. “I will also alert my colleagues’ inn the Uganda governmnet to take care of accessibility needs when they are constructing buildings.”

He said the Building Control Bill is before Cabinet for scrutiny, and the development of the regulations to operationalise it when it becomes an Act will begin soon. The meeting was also attended by the Commissioner for Building, Arch. Harry Kazahure. “Architect Kazahure will lead the process of making the regulations. Please, keep in touch with him,” the minister advised

his visitors led by the treasurer, Ark Goffin Candria. Kazahure said the regulations will be developed by the Ministry of Justice and will provide for the Standards as an annex to the Building Control Act. Madada thanked the Ministry of Works for the promise to legalise the Standards, and said it will be in line with the Government’s commitment to empower people to live a better and fulfilling life. Candria explained to the minister the intensive consultative process of developing the Standards, and expressed optimism that the lives of PWDs will greatly improve if the Standards are legalised and enforced in Uganda.

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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.

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