Education and disability rights advocates are spotlighting the need for urgent reforms to make higher education in East Africa more inclusive for persons with disabilities.
At the East African Conference on Disability-Inclusive Higher Education, held at Kyambogo University, speakers underscored that while significant efforts have been made to integrate PWDs into primary and secondary education, similar advancements in higher education are lacking.
Dr. Patrick Ojok, Dean of the Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation at Kyambogo University, argued that exclusionary practices in higher education deny PWDs a critical pathway to employment and self-reliance.
“Higher education is the bridge to employment, yet students with disabilities face significant barriers, from inaccessible facilities to discriminatory policies,” Dr. Ojok stated, urging universities to modify curricula, physical spaces, and policies to fully accommodate PWDs.” He said
The event, themed “Universities of All and for All,”brought together academics, policymakers, disability rights organizations, and development partners from across the region.
The Norwegian Association of Disabled (NAD), National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU), and Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC) supported the conference, which aimed to raise awareness and push for systemic changes in university accessibility for PWDs.
Several speakers highlighted the challenges faced by students with disabilities, including a lack of adapted learning materials, inaccessible infrastructure, and ongoing stigma.
Dolorence Were, Executive Director of the Uganda Society for Disabled Children, called for immediate action to create environments where PWDs can thrive academically. “Discrimination and stigma are everyday barriers,” she said. “Universities need to build accessible and welcoming spaces where people with disabilities are treated with dignity.”
Professor George Landa Openjuru, Vice Chancellor of Gulu University, announced that his university has allocated 64 scholarships for PWDs and provides assistive resources such as wheelchairs and interpreters.
He called on other universities to adopt similar measures, adding, “All institutions must commit to inclusivity, not only by admitting students with disabilities but by ensuring they have the resources needed to succeed.”
Conference attendees also heard from Professor Tsitsi Chataika of the University of Zimbabwe, who described the focus on higher education as “long overdue.” She noted that while some countries have made strides at the lower levels of education, the lack of support in universities leaves many PWDs unable to transition smoothly from education to employment.
Benjamin kauma, one of the persons with disabilities said that they are happy for the conference because they have been advocating for inclusive education but at a low level now that it has come to universities.
