Educationists in higher institutions of learning have urged the government to speed up the implementation process of disability policies to foster productivity through inclusivity.
The call was made during the 1st East African Disability Inclusive Higher Education Conference that took place on November 14, 2024, at Kyambogo University in Kampala.
A professor of special needs and inclusive education at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, Alei Mayehu Taklamariam, said that conferences like this particular one are meant to come up with suitable policies for inclusive education for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), stating that, however, the formulated policies are implemented in times of need or not implemented at all, which has affected the livelihood of PWDs.
“There are still institutes of education where there is still prevailing stigma and discrimination of PWDs. There is also inaccessibility of infrastructure and technology, limited financial support, and difficulty in finding employment. Unfortunately, this is the reality on the ground because of the unimplemented policies that would better PWDs lives,” he said.
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The Vice Chancellor of Gulu University, George Laadah Openjuru, called for institutional inclusive leadership for PWDs in institutions of education, saying that it is the only way that recommendations that favor PWDs will be brought and implemented as a way to better the lives of PWDs.
“With inclusive leadership roles both in work and education institutes, that is when most recommendations concerning PWDs will be both formulated and implemented,” he said.
The 1st East African Disability Inclusive Higher Education Conference is the first of its kind that focused at advocating for higher studies of PWDs in East Africa. The conference was also meant to formulate recommendations and policies to better the lives of PWDs with the involvement of all stakeholders.
