Bosco Nemeyimana, Kisoro – Kisoro District LCV Councillor for People with Disabilities, Baker Niyigaba, has requested the government to allocate a special needs school to every sub-county in Uganda. He made these remarks this morning at the Kisoro municipal boardroom during a workshop for the deaf-mute community (Abaragai). The three-day workshop, which started today, is attended by 13 leaders of the deaf-mute community from southwestern Uganda.
While speaking to the attendees, Councillor Niyigaba expressed his concerns about the limited special needs educational facilities and the lack of sign language experts in public places in Uganda.
Niyigaba, a sign language interpreter, narrated to KFM the problems that deaf-mute individuals face in acquiring services in public offices. He added that due to the communication barrier, this group of people is subjected to inevitable stigma, which needs to be addressed by the government of Uganda.
Supporting Niyigaba’s remarks, he pointed out that deaf-mute people have limited access to education, and even those who do manage to get an education rarely find employment, as some employers prioritize physical capacity over mental capacity.
He called on the relevant authorities in charge of poverty alleviation projects, such as the Parish Development Model, Emyooga, and Youth Livelihood Programs, to always ensure equality when dealing with people with disabilities.
In addressing the threat of illiteracy, he implored the government to establish a special needs education facility in each constituency as a way of improving education levels among deaf-mute people. He also reminded all parents with such children to ensure they attend school.
The seemingly downhearted councillor reiterated his appeal to the government to address the escalating sexual advances towards people with disabilities by the general public. He added that several female deaf-mute individuals have been subjected to rape and defilement by unscrupulous people. He expressed dismay at how these victims fail to get justice due to the communication barrier.
Also present at the opening ceremony was the Kisoro Municipality Mayor, Richard Ndyana, who relied on Municipal Principal Education Officer, Sabiti Emmanuel Mugyemanyi, to deliver his message.
Ndyana asked all attendees to actively participate in poverty alleviation projects. He used the platform to urge parents of deaf-mute children to ensure their children attend school.
Both Sabiti Mugyemanyi and Baker Niyigaba interpreted the speech by the Chairperson for People with Disabilities in Kisoro, Obed, who called upon his peers to always put God first.
