Convention of Rights 9: Know your rights

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD) forms the foundation of disability rights laws in Uganda and is the model for the Persons With Disabilities Act (PWDA) 2006. The CRPD underlines and recognizes that persons with disabilities (PWDs) are entitled to all the human rights enunciated in the The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If you are a PWD the rights in the CRPD are your rights, if you do not have a disability it is your duty to uphold and promote these rights.

Article 8 of the CRPD says the government is responsible for promoting the rights of PWDs through maintaining public awareness and promoting positive perceptions of the skills and abilities of PWDs through:

• Raising awareness of the rights of PWDs throughout the whole of society, including the family.
• Combating stereotypes and prejudice about disability and also those based on gender and age.
• Promoting awareness of the abilities of PWDs.
• Making employers aware of the skills PWDs can bring to their work.
• Making educators aware of the rights of PWDs at all ages.
• Ensuring the media presents PWDs in a positive light, consistent with the aims of this Convention.
• Promoting awareness training about PWDs and their rights.

The 2016 National Union of Disabled Persons Uganda (NUDIPU) report on the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Uganda makes the following observation:

We are not aware of any government campaigns whatsoever with regard to creating awareness as contemplated under Article 8 of the CRPD, in particular no campaigns or awareness raising to promote the positive image of persons with disabilities. Any and all initiatives we are aware of in this regard have been initiated and sustained by Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs). A constant claim in this regard on the part of Government is the lack of resources. However, we note that robust awareness-raising campaigns are regularly conducted with regard to the rights of among others, women and children, and persons living with HIV (PLHIV). Although some awareness has been undertaken by the Ministry of Health with regard to the prevention of immunizable diseases, including Polio, this is grounded more in terms of public health concerns than in the advancement of the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.

If you are a PWD you should know your rights. Furthermore, everyone should be aware of your rights. Everyone has a duty to inform and educate on the rights of PWDs.

If the government isn't doing anything to inform you of your rights, what is the solution? Watch this video and find out:

Rights are not the responsibility of 1 person, they are the responsibility of everyone.

The biggest challenge is making individuals aware of their rights.

This is written in Article 8 of the CRPD in the following way:

Article 8

Awareness-raising

1. States Parties undertake to adopt immediate, effective and appropriate measures:

(a) To raise awareness throughout society, including at the family level, regarding persons with disabilities, and to foster respect for the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities;

(b) To combat stereotypes, prejudices and harmful practices relating to persons with disabilities, including those based on sex and age, in all areas of life;

(c) To promote awareness of the capabilities and contributions of persons with disabilities.

2. Measures to this end include:

(a) Initiating and maintaining effective public awareness campaigns designed:

(i) To nurture receptiveness to the rights of persons with disabilities;

(ii) To promote positive perceptions and greater social awareness towards persons with disabilities;

(iii) To promote recognition of the skills, merits and abilities of persons with disabilities, and of their contributions to the workplace and the labour market;

(b) Fostering at all levels of the education system, including in all children from an early age, an attitude of respect for the rights of persons with disabilities;

(c) Encouraging all organs of the media to portray persons with disabilities in a manner consistent with the purpose of the present Convention;

(d) Promoting awareness-training programmes regarding persons with disabilities and the rights of persons with disabilities.