Disability Rights 10: The right to access

In addition to the human rights laws in the Constitution of Uganda there are several other rights granted to persons with disabilities (PWDs). These rights are given by law in the Persons With Disabilities Act 2006 (PWDA) which is modeled on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Whether you are a PWD or not, these laws apply to you.

Sections 19 and 20 of the PWDA discuss the right to access all public buildings in Uganda. Section 19 says that it is the responsibility of all departments of public and private institutions to ensure there are suitable exits for PWDs and accessible toilets that follow design standards.

Section 20 states that any building constructed for public use should be accessible to PWDs. It provides details about the design of lifts, ramps, staircases and latrines. If it is not possible to install a ramp or an elevator, a platform lift should be available.

Everyone has the right to access public buildings. Access means being able to take part in all activities in the community without being disadvantaged. It means you are a respected and valued member of society. It means inclusion.

Uganda has its own accessibility standards. You can see a presentation by Ugandan accesibility campaigner Apollo Mukasa who helped to write the book ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS: A practical guide to create a barrier-free physical environment in Uganda. For a summary of the standards see Uganda makes accessibility standards mandatory.

How a wheelchair user gets from the wheelchair to a toilet-seat.

This law is written like this in sections 19 and 20 of the Persons With Disabilities Act 2006:

19. Access to premises

It shall be the responsibility of all organs in a public or private institution to provide—

(a) suitable exits for persons with disabilities;

(b) universal standards or designs of public toilets.

20. Duty to provide access to buildings

Any person, who constructs, a building to which the public is invited, shall ensure that persons with disabilities have access through Provision of—

(a) accessible and easy-to-find building entrances, connected by accessible pathways to accessible indoor or outdoor parking areas, local public transit stops and accessible elevators;

(b) safe and accessible urinal, bathrooms for the diverse disabilities;

(c) safe and well-dimensioned staircases for the comfort of persons with mobility problems;

(d) ramps wherever stairs obstruct the free passage of pedestrians, mainly wheel chair users and people with mobility problems;

(e) adequate railing around hazardous areas, stairs, ramps, accessible roofs, mezzanines, galleries, balconies and raised platforms;

(f) well-dimensioned elevators,('in the case of multi-storied buildings) that persons with disabilities can use conveniently.

(2) An accessible elevator should-

(i) serve all floors normally reached by the public;

(ii) have embossed numerals on the floor selector buttons to be easily identifiable by touch;

(iii) signal arrival at each floor to alert sightless and hearing impaired passengers simultaneously

(3) Where it is difficult or unfeasible to install a ramp or an elevator to an existing building, the owner of the building shall provide platform lifts to provide accessibility