A Soroti based NGO, OJ Disability Care Foundation has started its maiden nationwide program to donate wheelchairs and other assistive devices for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
The distribution exercise has started in Soroti District with 50 Persons with Disabilities. The beneficiaries were given wheelchairs items procured with support from Wheelchair foundation and Friends of the Heart.
The wheelchairs will be distributed in the districts of; Eastern, Central, Western and Northern Uganda.
Julius Opoi, the Executive Director OJ Disability Care foundation said that they received support of 260 wheelchairs that are going to be distributed to the whole country.
Opoi said that having an experience on how he suffered to get a wheelchair being a PWD in his childhood, he grew up with a dream of supporting any PWDs with a wheelchair.
He explained that access to assistive technologies such as wheelchairs, white canes, and tricycles among others, remains a big challenge for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.
Opoi added that the biggest challenge in accessing government services is due to lack of mobility appliances and tasked the government to reduce taxes on those assistive devices.
Eunice Among the Programs Manager National Union for Women with Disabilities Uganda – NUWODU urged parents to have fair treatment for children with disability since they are precious in the world.
Among called upon the government to partner with CSOs to further the support towards the disabled persons.
“Government must strengthen efforts and partner with organizations which help people,” She said.
In Uganda, only 2 per cent of the 12.4 percent of persons living with some form of disability have access to assistive technology services.