Original Research

Disability inclusion in higher education in Uganda: Status and strategies

Paul Emong, Lawrence Eron
African Journal of Disability | Vol 5, No 1 | a193 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v5i1.193 | © 2016 Paul Emong, Lawrence Eron | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 29 April 2015 | Published: 02 December 2016

About the author(s)

Paul Emong, Department of Community and Disability Studies, Kyambogo University, Uganda
Lawrence Eron, Department of Special Needs Studies, Kyambogo University, Uganda

Abstract

Background: Uganda has embraced inclusive education and evidently committed itself to bringing about disability inclusion at every level of education. Both legal and non-legal frameworks have been adopted and arguably are in line with the intent of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on education. The CRPD, in Article 24, requires states to attain a right to education for persons with disabilities without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunities at all levels of education.
Objectives: Despite Uganda’s robust disability legal and policy framework on education, there is evidence of exclusion and discrimination of students with disabilities in the higher education institutions. The main objective of this article is to explore the status of disability inclusion in higher education and strategies for its realisation, using evidence from Emong’s study, workshop proceedings where the authors facilitated and additional individual interviews with four students with disabilities by the authors.
Results: The results show that there are discrimination and exclusion tendencies in matters related to admissions, access to lectures, assessment and examinations, access to library services, halls of residence and other disability support services.
Conclusion: The article recommends that institutional policies and guidelines on support services for students with disabilities and special needs in higher education be developed, data on students with disabilities collected to help planning, collaboration between Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPO’s) strengthened to ensure disability inclusion and the establishment of disability support centres.

Keywords

Disability; Inclusion; Higher Education; Reasonable Accommodation

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Crossref Citations

1. Compounded Exclusion: Education for Disabled Refugees in Sub-Saharan Africa
Elizabeth Walton, Joanna McIntyre, Salome Joy Awidi, Nicole De Wet-Billings, Kerryn Dixon, Roda Madziva, David Monk, Chamunogwa Nyoni, Juliet Thondhlana, Volker Wedekind
Frontiers in Education  vol: 5  year: 2020  
doi: 10.3389/feduc.2020.00047