A new forum in Parliament dedicated to supporting the rights of disabled individuals has been launched.
The idea for this forum was initially proposed in 2019 during the 10th Parliament by disability rights activist Safia Juuko Nalule, who was the Central Region PWDs Representative. Nalule and others advocated for an amendment to the Commonwealth Parliament Association (CPA) constitution to create a special forum for PDWs.
At that time, PWDs voiced concerns about a lack of communication and representation in Parliament, mainly because their representatives were elected through an electoral college process with limited dissemination of electoral laws and guidelines at the national and local government levels.
During the launch of the Parliamentary Forum for Persons With Disabilities on Friday, its Chairperson, Alex Ndeezi, who is also the Member of Parliament representing People With Disabilities in the Central Region, welcomed all MPs interested in social justice to join.
Ndeezi emphasized that the forum’s main goal is to influence laws, policies, and programs that promote the well-being of Persons with Disabilities at all levels of government across the country.
Judith Peace Achan, the Vice Chairperson of the forum and the Nwoya District Woman Representative, outlined other objectives, including overseeing and monitoring programs and projects related to disability action plans and ensuring effective service delivery.
They also aim to foster networking among legislators, encourage resource allocation for disability programs, and promote collaboration with organizations sharing similar goals.
According to a 2016 census report by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), approximately 12.4% of Uganda’s population lives with some form of disability, highlighting the significance of addressing disability-related issues in development efforts, given that this accounts for roughly 4.5 million Ugandans.