URN
KARAMOJA: Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the Karamoja sub-region have raised concern over the lack of reliable data on persons with disabilities (PWDs).
They warn that the information gap is undermining efforts to plan, lobby for support, and address the challenges facing the disability community.
The organisations say cultural stigma, poor documentation by health facilities, and weak tracking systems have left many children with disabilities invisible in both health and education records.
Anna Lomonyanga of the Karamoja Special Children Hope Initiative said many children with disabilities remain hidden in their communities because some families view disability as a curse.
As a result, parents deliberately conceal their children, making it difficult for organisations and government agencies to identify them and compile accurate statistics.
She noted that many children with disabilities are excluded from school, with only a few, such as those with visual or hearing impairments, accessing specialised education, while hose with other forms of disability largely remain at home.
Lomonyang also observed that most schools are ill-equipped to accommodate learners with disabilities.
She said teachers lack sign language skills, leaving deaf learners unable to fully participate in lessons, while long distances to schools and negative attitudes among some school administrators further discourage enrolment.
“The health sector is equally constrained, explaining that many health workers are not trained to identify and document disabilities at birth, while a significant number of children are delivered at home and never enter the formal health records system” Lomonyanga added.
Oscord Mark Otile of ACODE said effective planning for persons with disabilities requires credible and comprehensive data.
Although the national census collected disability statistics, he argued that the figures may not be sufficiently accurate for planning purposes.
He urged Parish Chiefs to use the registration process under the Parish Development Model to generate more reliable disability data at the community level.
Grace Loumo, Executive Director of Action for Women in Awakening in Rural Environment (AWARE) in Kaabong District, said discrimination continues to isolate children with disabilities.
She pointed out that some are confined in their homes because of stigma, while others have been abandoned and now live on the streets, making them difficult to identify and support.
“Improved data collection would help identify vulnerable groups and ensure they benefit from targeted interventions,” Loumo explained.
John Baguma of MUCOBADI said persons with disabilities in Karamoja continue to face numerous challenges because existing systems are not responsive enough to meet their diverse needs.
Desmond Sagal of the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) said visits to health facilities revealed that disability-specific records are largely unavailable.
He explained that children are registered without indicating whether they have disabilities, making it impossible to determine how many are born with different forms of impairment.
Olive Namutebi, Executive Director of Albinism Umbrella, acknowledged that there is still no comprehensive database on persons with disabilities in Karamoja.
She, however, noted that district disability unions have been established across the sub-region to strengthen coordination and representation.
She added that, through a consortium involving NUDIPU, Albinism Umbrella and NUWODU, Disability Champions have been established at sub-county level in Amudat and Nabilatuk districts to lead community awareness and sensitisation on disability inclusion.
Namutebi called on sub-county leaders to establish disability registers, saying accurate data is essential for planning services, mobilising resources, promoting social inclusion, and strengthening accountability.
Ruth Teko, the Community Development Officer for Nabilatuk District, said the district has already begun mapping and identifying persons with disabilities with support from NUDIPU and the Albinism Umbrella.
She said the exercise will provide the information needed for effective planning while also supporting efforts to involve persons with disabilities in leadership and decision-making processes.
According to the National Population and Housing Census 2024 Disability Monograph, the Karamoja sub-region has an estimated 31,156 persons with disabilities.
However, CSOs argue that the figure significantly understates the actual number of people living with disabilities.
They are calling for a fresh disability headcount to establish accurate statistics that will guide targeted interventions based on specific categories of disability.
SOURCE:URN
