Commonwealth Foundation’s support for PWDs during COVID19

News

Given the disproportionate effect that COVID19 has had on PWDs, the Commonwealth Foundation in partnership with Uganda National Action of Physical Disability (UNAPD) and Austria-based NGO Light of the World to strengthen the capacity of PWD representatives to participate effectively in ongoing Covid-19 response measures. This project will facilitate engagement between PWDs and Covid-19 Task Forces so that the needs of PWDs are adequately reflected in policies and planning.

The increased advocacy by the disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) has led to adoption of PWDs representatives on the National and District Task Forces. However, the PWD representatives have limited capacity to articulate their needs at such fora. This project therefore aims to ensure inclusive or disability sensitive government response mechanisms at different levels through active inclusion of PWDs in ongoing Covid-19 prevention and management planning.

This will be achieved by 

  1. Collating Task Force members’ experiences and linking with other DPOs to collectively document the impact of Covid-19 on diverse disability-specific experiences to inform evidence-based advocacy
  2. Developing and implementing awareness campaigns on Covid-19 through print, radio, TV and social media using accessible formats (Ugandan Sign Language and Braille); conducting specific media awareness campaigns on gender-based violence prevention
  3. Ensuring that PWD representatives are included in three District Task Forces training PWD representatives in advocacy to enhance their effective participation in District Task Forces
  4. Strengthening engagement between PWDs and government authorities through holding meetings with the National and three District Task Forces to:
    1. Raise PWDs’ priorities in Covid-19 planning on accessible quarantine centres, affirmative action in food distribution, production of user-friendly masks etc
    2. Advocate for use of gender-disaggregated indicators in monitoring frameworks of National & District Task Forces for tracking the reach of programmes to PWDs
    3. holding meetings with WHO and Ministry of Health officials to advocate for prioritisation of PWDs in Covid-19 testing/treatment programmes, and including gender-disaggregated indicators to track programme performance

This initiative has been backed by a sum of £28,500 has been funded for the year 2021 to covering 12 months