Disability Rights 19: Right to sports and recreation

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.

Section 30 of the PWDA states that PWDs have the right to take part in sports, leisure and recreation activities. This section of the PWDA further adds that it is the duty of the appropriate government organ, the Ministry of Education and Sports, to promote this right. This section of the law guarantees PWDs the rights to:

• Compete in National and international events.
• Organize and participate in events, and receive training, instruction and resources like other participants.
• Access sporting and recreation venues.
• Access the services of organisations responsible for all sports.

It also says that PWDs shall not be prevented from taking part in any sport or recreational activity on the grounds of their disability. And importantly, at least 10% of all funds allocated to sporting activities are available for the development of sports for the disabled.

It is important to understand that at least 10% of all the annual sports budget should be used for PWDs. According the the 2017 Budget (see Uganda Budget Information), Physical Education and Sports receives 1.35% (6.95 billion shillings) of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Sport's annual budget. It is unclear how much of that budget is allocated to sports for PWDs.

If you are a PWD you are entitled to enjoy sports, recreation and leisure activities just like any other citizen of Uganda.

British wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan meets stars of the Ugandan national wheelchair team.

This law is written like this in section 30 of the Persons With Disabilities Act 2006:

30.Sports and recreational activities 

(1) It shall be the duty of the appropriate Government organ to promote the right of persons with disabilities to participate in recreational, leisure and sporting activities and shall take appropriate measures to enable persons with disability-

(a) to participate in mainstream sporting activities at regional, national and international levels;

(b) to organize and participate in sporting activities receiving necessary instructions, training and resources that are available to other participants.

(c) have access to sporting and recreational venues;

(d) have access to the services of the organizations responsible for specific sporting activities.

(2) A person shall not exclude any person from a sporting activity or recreational activity in which he or she can participate on ground of his or her disability.

(3) The provisions of subsection (2) shall not apply to-

(a) a person who is incapable of performing the required sporting activity;

(b) a person conducting sporting activities for persons who have a particular disability and that person does not have that disability.

(4) At least 10% percent of all funds committed to sports and recreational activities shall be used for the development of the recreation and sports of persons with disability.