THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION LAUNCHES REPORT ON PHYSICAL ACCESSIBILITY TO SELECTED PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS BY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Hon. Peace Mutuuzo officially launching the report, as the Commission Chairperson and Acting Secretary (right) look on

Following the physical accessibility audit conducted in 2016, the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) launched its report on 27th May 2017. The occasion was graced by Hon. Peace Mutuuzo – Minister of State for Gender and Culture as Chief Guest at the Commission’s headquarters in bugolobi. The institutions assessed included Centenary Bank – Mapeera, Kampala Capital City Authority, the Parliamentary Building, High Court and Kiruddu General Referral Hospital.

The ceremony was attended by Ms. Salima Namusobya; Executive Director – Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), Ms. Joyce Freda Apio – GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) technical advisor, Mr. Apollo Mukasa – the Executive Director of Uganda National Action on Physical Disability (UNAPD), representatives from Civil Society Organizations, government and many more.

The Commission Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Members and staff were all present on the occasion.

Some of the representatives from Government, CSOs and DGF listening to the remarks

In her remarks, Hon. Mutuuzo expressed gratitude to the Commission for demonstrating its commitment to the elimination of discrimination and inequalities by ensuring compliance to the National Physical Accessibility Standards by all Government and non-Government actors.

She noted that the total number of PWDs in the country is 6.5 million, “a figure huge enough not to be excluded from the development process”. She therefore urged that the construction of structures that have no provisions for physical accessibility for all should not be commissioned.

The Minister revealed that in order to encourage recruitment of Persons with Disabilities in the private sector, Government is coming up with incentives – including tax holidays for compliant investors. She informed the gathering that through the Equal Opportunities Commission, Government will be visiting and monitoring all the factories established by investors to ensure there is recruitment of PWDs, accessibility of the facilities to PWDs and that employees involved in accidents at work are compensated.

On the whole, the assessment findings revealed that the main entrance to KCCA office premises is not accessible to PWDs as it does not provide for a ramp and the stairs in place do not have tactile marking for identification by the visually impaired. At Kiruddu General Refferal hospital, the main entrance rails on the ramp are of a very big diameter which cannot be easily grabbed and the ramp does not have tactile marking at the start and end points. Centenary Rural Development Bank has a raised pavement towards the entrance at the main road that hinders access to the walk way for wheel chair users and similarly there is a step on the main road that limits wheelchair users from accessing the ATM section walkway. Stairs to the main entrance of the High Court do not have handrails and tactile markings hence making them inaccessible by Persons with Disabilities and the exterior stairs at Parliament do not have general and intermediate handrails to support movement.

Mrs. Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi addressing guests at the launch ceremony

Mrs. Ntambi informed the gathering that Persons with disabilities face widespread inaccessibility to public facilities and to basic services like education and health which contributes to their exclusion in society. It is against this that the Commission embarked on the study to appreciate the plight of persons with Disabilities and provide recommendations that can improve their accessibility to public facilities and services. She intimated that the Commission will work with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to popularize and share the Building Control Act of 2013 and the National Physical Accessibility Standards and requirements with concerned stakeholders.

Guests and staff of the Equal Opportunities Commission listening to the remarks