Disability Rights 21: Constitutional rights

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 32 of the PWDA says that all the rights given in chapter 4 of the Constitution of Uganda also known as the Bill of Rights are the right of every citizen and apply equally to PWDs. These rights have been detailed in the series of blog posts Know Your Rights 1: Fundamental Human Rights to Know Your Rights 27: Getting your voice heard 2. Furthermore, the rights of PWDs are to be respected, upheld and promoted by all the organs and agencies of the government and by all persons.

It is important for PWDs to understand that the rights given in chapter 4 of the Constitution of Uganda mean that as a citizen of Uganda a PWD is like any other citizen, and as such they have the same rights as every other citizen. Everyone deserves to be treated with equality and to be free of discrimination. These human rights are enshrined in the law because disability is a part of human diversity. Every citizen is equal, no one should be subjected to discrimination.

If you are a PWD the human rights guaranteed to every citizen in chapter 4 of the Constitution of Uganda are guaranteed to you by law. Moreover, those human rights are to be respected, upheld and promoted by every department of the government and by all citizens in Uganda.

In the Face of Dangerous Prejudice, Activist (Peter Ogik on the Right) Works On Behalf of People With Albinism in Uganda.
Fazira Kawuma, vice chairwoman of the National Council for Disability, says Ogik works hard to promote awareness about issues of albinism.
“I believe people are now more aware about albinism in the communities,” she says. “Even those who had bad intentions against albino people now see them as human beings who have rights that should be respected.” 

This law is written like this in section 32 of the Persons With Disabilities Act 2006:

32. Constitutional rights and freedoms.

The fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in Chapter Four of the Constitution shall be respected, upheld and promoted by all organs and agencies of government and by all person in respect to persons with disabilities.