Report

Assessing the Barriers to Accessing ICT by People with Disabilities in Uganda

Although the Uganda government has enacted a number of progressive laws that provide for the rights of access to information and use of ICT by persons with disabilities, the majority have largely remained on paper as key provisions are not being implemented or enforced. Additionally, the lack of regular, updated, and comprehensive disaggregated data on persons with disabilities, including the specific challenges that they face in accessing information and using ICT have negatively impacted on the design and implementation of interventions that would improve their access. Moreover, assistive technologies are out of reach for large numbers of persons with disabilities. For persons with disabilities to meaningfully access and use available ICT, different stakeholders, including government ministries, communication regulators, telecom operators and other ICT companies must take deliberate efforts to enact and implement disability-friendly laws that bind service providers such as telecom and other ICT operators to cater for the needs of persons with disabilities.