Disabled demand easy access to all buildings

Wakiso. People With Disabilities (PWDs) have asked the government and investors to consider remodeling buildings to make them accessible to the disabled.
Mr Meddie Ssengoba, the Disability Rights Fund programme officer, says an assessment of the level of compliance of public facilities to the national physical accessibility standards across the country is lacking.

Mr Ssengoba, explains that as former Makerere University student of law, he completed four years without easing himself from university toilets because there were no provisions for his wheel chair.
He observes that several buildings across the country, including toilets and health facilities, have not been designed to allow PWDs get services, which is against the Building Control Act 2013 and National Physical Accessibility Standards and Requirements.

Purpose
“There is need to make all buildings accessible to PWDs, give them universal designs and Universal Access. Make them as accessible as possible to PWDs so that they can have more responsibilities as this restores their self-esteem and dignity,” Mr Ssengoba says.
“Government must make it possible for PWDs to fetch drinking water from the kitchen sink or dispenser in the living room. This makes them feel good and that is important,” he adds.

Many buildings in Kampala and across the country lack ramps and the stairs at the main entrances have no handrails and tactile markings to make them accessible to PWDs.
The minister of Works and Transport, Ms Monica Azuba Ntege, concurs with Mr Ssengoba and says most buildings do not comply with the Building Control Act, 2013, and National Physical Accessibility Standards that mandate them to consider the needs of the disabled before construction works are approved.
“I know that most buildings that were built before 2000 can’t be accessed by the disabled even when National Physical Accessibility Standards have been adopted to inform architects and engineers when drawing plans for new buildings to ensure that the plans adhere to the new guidelines,” says Ms Azuba.

Govt role
She adds that Works ministry is working towards having all workplaces that are inaccessible in regard to the physical infrastructure such as buildings without ramps, lifts or provisions in the washrooms changed to empower PWDs to work efficiently.

Mr Peter Kaujju, the director of communications at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), says although there are old buildings that do not provide access to PWDs, no physical plan is approved for new buildings without compliance to the Building Control Act, 2013, and the National Physical Accessibility Standards and Requirements.
“All old buildings are being remodeled to allow accessibility to PWDs such as KCCA building and Parliament of Uganda. We also think other buildings will follow suit although they are slow,” Mr Kaujju says.
He explains that the new buildings are required to provide for ramps and that the stairs at the main entrances should have handrails and tactile markings to make them accessible to everyone including PWDs.

Mr Waddimba Hassan, the programmes associate at East Africa Centre for Disability Law and Policy, says there are basic areas that can be worked upon in favour of the disabled.
“And one of them is how to get in and out of the house for a person who uses a wheelchair. You can have a ramp,” says Mr Waddimba.
The principles on Universal designs include equal access, flexibility, simplicity, high tolerance error, effective communication, suitable size and space for use.
According to the 2014 Census, approximately 5.625,000 million Ugandans live with some form of disability, yet a look at most public buildings and homes are built in a way that does not take into consideration their specific needs.

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