Background:

In the design of ADD support to district-disabled persons’ unions, strengthening of the union to do advocacy on its own, is a key strategic issue to be handled at various levels. Although there is a developed disability legal framework and systems, through which affirmative action could benefit disabled people, only limited implementation has been possible primarily due to inadequate skills by leaders of persons with disabilities to influence effectively for the benefit of persons with disabilities. Another problem is the performance gaps within the delivery system and lack of inclusion of persons with disabilities’ needs within the systems of budgeting, allocation and provision of services at the district and in the LC system.

As a programme strategy among others, chairmen of sub-county DPOs, Local Council III representatives for persons with disabilities and the Union executive committee members are trained and supported to do advocacy on their own. This programme is intended therefore to strengthen the DPOs’ capacity to lobby for inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the district programmes.

This started as a Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programme in the early nineties, and it involved training CBR volunteers in mobilization of persons with disabilities into groups; identification and classification of disabilities; provision of assistive devices, undertaking corrective services; production of mobility appliances using locally available resources; doing referrals, home visits and conducting community meetings, among others. This was done in the districts of Soroti, Lira, Apac, Kabarole and Jinja. Starting from 2000, the programme was reviewed as during this period, ADD was moving further away from service provision, a component that was evident in CBR, to focus more on capacity building and influence. Hence the programme was re-packaged to fit in this new dimension, and was named Disability and Development in Communities (DDC).

The target people in this programme are executive committee members of the district union, chairpersons of sub-county associations and councillors representing PwDs at LC III.

The goal of DDC programme is to empower leaders of disabled people with capacity to ensure access by Persons with Disabilities to services, resources and opportunities within and outside their community.

The content
The three-phase programme

• Overview of DDC Programme in partnership with DPOs.
• Problems and needs of Persons with Disabilities in different categories and possible ways of addressing those needs.
• Evolution of human rights approach to work with persons with disabilities
• The Constitution of Uganda and other pro-disability pieces of legislations on the issues of disability.
• International conventions for equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities
• Group formation and management
• Effective communication and modes of passing messages
• Attitude, trust and confidence building
• Definition of concepts Advocacy, Lobbying and influence
• Advocacy, Power and Politics
• Outreach and mobilization to support persons with disabilities
• Methods of doing advocacy
• Steps in the advocacy process
• Advocacy issues, Goals and Objectives
• Target audiences for possible support and opposition
• Messages for effective advocacy communication
• Ways of fundraising and mobilization of resources to support DPOs
• Roles and responsibilities of DPOs members
• Developed a plan of action for advocacy
• Role models of persons with disabilities with success stories.

• Group dynamics
• Lobbying, advocacy, networking / collaboration
• Project planning and management
• Local resource mobilisation
• Handling various disability needs.

2. The district union develops and manages a DDC programme.

• To discuss with them their challenges and a way forward
• Creating awareness to the community about the needs and concerns of persons with disabilities.
• Mobilization of persons with disabilities to engage themselves in self-help projects and support in mobilising resources
• Identifying people with disabilities in the communities.
• Building confidence of people with disabilities to raise their issues for support
• Referring people with disabilities to service providers
• Carrying out simple assessment and referral of people with disabilities in the communities.
• Lobbying and advocacy for people with disabilities’ rights in their communities
• Networking and collaborating with stake holders/service-providers.
• Educating parents/care-takers of children with disabilities on disability issues.
• Continuous home visits to people with disabilities