As Uganda joins the world in marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities tomorrow, disability rights activists are renewing calls for the government to implement a long-standing proposal: a monthly allowance of Shs10,000 for households raising children with disabilities, similar to the SAGE grant for the elderly.
Activists under the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection, working alongside the Foundation of People Affected by Dwarfism and other organisations, highlight the financial strain on families.
Many households caring for children with disabilities are among the poorest, with up to 40% of their income spent on meeting the unique needs of these children.
Gloria Nakajubi, Communications Lead at the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection, cited the 2024 UBOS report, which recorded 1,721,776 children with disabilities.
She noted that the figure is likely lower than reality, as many infants under two were not counted.
“We need government intervention to ensure all children with disabilities are catered for,” Nakajubi said.
Joel Kawanguzi, Programme Coordinator at the Foundation of People Affected by Dwarfism, shared his personal journey.
Growing up in Mawuge A, Namutumba District, Kawanguzi struggled without adequate support.
He took seven years to learn to walk and talk, and his mother faced immense challenges caring for him alongside her other children.
At school, he was once denied admission for being “too small” despite being eight years old, and faced bullying from fellow learners—experiences that still resonate with him today.
Despite these hurdles, Kawanguzi excelled academically, topping his class at Igerera Primary School.
Today, he advocates for the rights and dignity of children with disabilities through his role in the organisation supporting people with dwarfism.
Ahead of tomorrow’s celebrations, he urged parents to treat all their children equally, educate them without discrimination, and teach non-disabled children to stop mocking those with disabilities.
Activists also called on political candidates to prioritise disability issues in their manifestos, warning against demeaning language or sidelining persons with disabilities. “Persons with disabilities are voters too and deserve respect and inclusion,” they stressed.
Uganda’s national celebrations will take place in Mubende District under the theme, “Wealth Creation Programmes: A Key to Socio-Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.”
Activists hope the government will use the occasion to recommit to the monthly disability household grant, arguing that it would significantly improve the welfare of families raising children with disabilities, many of whom live in extreme poverty.