‘Bridging the Gap’: Integrating Human Rights- Based Approaches to Disability Welfare in Local Government in Uganda

Disability mainstreaming has become one of the key concepts in development studies, as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development puts the most vulnerable at the centre of a global development effort. This study analysed how the human rights approach is used in disability welfare mainstreaming in Uganda’s development process, using Mbarara district local government as a case study. Data was collected through focus group discussions, interviews, and observations with persons with disabilities, disability unions, district and human rights body officers, and analysed using thematic data analysis. The findings reveal how the existing disability policy frameworks and approaches used are linked to the persisting poor welfare situation of persons with disabilities. In our conclusion, we advocate for an integrated policy framework and programs that address interlinking disability inclusion barriers and overcome fragmented interventions which have failed to empower persons with disabilities to participate in the development process effectively.