Include us in national planning- PWDS
Persons with disabilities have appealed to government to involve them in national development programmes.
The executive director, Uganda National Action on Physical Disability (UNAPD) Mr Apollo Mukasa on Wednesday said they are usually left behind and not considered during government implementation of some of the programmes.
He said this in Kampala during program for Livelihood experience sharing workshop with other government officials and civil society organizations.
Mr.Mukasa said they also want to fight poverty by getting involved in different government programmes.
"We are not involved, they should consider us and we inform them what programmes are good for us," he said.
He said they should be put on board and tell them what they want because currently there are no clear government interventions for them.
"We want to benefit and therefore, government should go back and redesign their programmes," he said.
He cited an example of people with visual impairment whom he argued that are unable to do farming but if involved in planning, government would be able to come up with what works for them better instead of deciding for them.
According to him, the development projects are meant to impact on PWDs in order to independently live productive lives. UNAPD is progressively reaching out to the membership through the different ongoing project currently being implemented in 16 districts spread in the four regions of Uganda.
The operation manager Brac, Mr Arthur Oryenyi said about 10 million people are living in ultra-poverty in Uganda, 12 percent of whom are PWDs.
He said they are encouraging PWDs to approach Brac to learn how they can improve on their finances.
Mr Dennis Gainomugisha, a programmes manager Uganda Women Enterprise project under ministry of Gender said there is a problem of language barrier with some PWDs citing an example with those with visual and hearing impairment.
In 2019 UNADP in collaboration with other Disabled People's Organizations (DPOs) formed a livelihood caucus of DPOs as a joint advocacy platform focused at inclusion for PWDs needs in on going livelihood programs at different levels.
