Disability Rights 7: The right to rehabilitation

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 10 of the PWDA says that the government will provide rehabilitation services to all citizens that become disabled. Rehabilitation will be in the following ways:

• To regain functional ability and enhance social and economic participation.
• By promoting research into new technology for more effective rehabilitation.
• Establishing clinical departments in hospitals to research clinical practice and technical guidance in rehabilitation.
• Providing technical training for personnel involved in rehabilitation and training all those involved in rehabilitation in current techniques and information.
• Ensuring that medical and educational institutions offer relevant rehabilitation training.

Section 11 of the PWDA says that the government will develop the skills and potential of PWDs to enable them to compete favorably in work.

If you are a citizen that becomes disabled this means that the government will take all possible measures to help you to return to a productive working life.

What is rehabilitation? 
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These laws are written in sections 10 and 11 of the Persons With Disabilities Act 2006:

10. Measures of rehabilitation 

The Government shall—

(a) adopt measures of rehabilitation to help persons with disability regain functional ability to enhance participation in social and economic life;

(b) promote the research, exploration and application of new rehabilitation technology so as to provide more effective rehabilitation service for persons with disabilities;

(c) establish medical rehabilitation departments or sections in hospitals, special institutions of rehabilitation and carry out clinical practice and training, scientific research, personnel training and work of technical guidance in the field of rehabilitation;

(d) provide various forms of technical training for personnel engaged in rehabilitation work. Popularize knowledge of rehabilitation among persons with disabilities, their family members, relevant staff and volunteers and teach them methods of rehabilitation;

(e) ensure that. Medical institutions and other relevant Educational institutes offer curricula and specialties on rehabilitation.

11. Vocational rehabilitation and employment 

The Government shall take vocational rehabilitation measures to develop the skills and potentials of persons with disabilities to enable them compete favorably for available productive and remunerative employment opportunities in the labour market.