Over 10,000 persons with disabilities across 73 districts in Uganda have been equipped with vital digital skills through an initiative championed by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and implemented by the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU), in partnership with Eight Consults.
The Inclusive ICT Program, launched in 2021, has been hailed as a transformative effort to bridge the gap between technology and one of Uganda’s most marginalized communities.
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), 12% of the population approximately 4.6 million people live with some form of disability, a group that has historically been sidelined in major technological initiatives.
Fiona Nambogo, the Business Manager at Eight Consults, says the program was borne out of an urgent need to address systemic exclusion.
“We realized that as the country was making digital progress, persons with disabilities were being left behind. So we set out to understand the real issues through a baseline study and what we found was a serious digital divide,” said Nambogo.
The study revealed that persons with disabilities often lacked digital skills, access to devices, and even visibility in national databases. In response, the program introduced comprehensive skilling, including the use of computers, assistive technologies, and business tools.
Participants were trained through district unions—community-based organizations that bring together people with disabilities.
“We managed to skill 10,000 persons with disabilities in digital literacy. These individuals now know how to use computers, navigate the internet, and employ assistive technology to enhance their lives and livelihoods,” Nambogo explained.
In a bid to institutionalise the gains, the team developed and digitized a national curriculum for training persons with disabilities.
This curriculum was localized into major Ugandan languages including Luganda, Luo, Ateso, and Lusoga to ensure that even those in rural areas or with limited English proficiency could benefit.
“This wasn’t just about skilling; it was about making information accessible. We translated content to ensure that our people wherever they are can understand and utilize it,” she noted.
One of the program’s major milestones was the development of a National Digital Observatory, a database that profiles persons with disabilities. The platform not only stores personal data and skills but also connects users to service providers and opportunities.
“We’ve profiled at least 70,000 persons with disabilities. This database is a powerful tool for advocacy, planning, and inclusion,” said Nambogo.
Despite the success, gaps remain. The program has so far reached only half of Uganda’s districts. Moreover, access to digital devices and poor internet infrastructure in rural areas continues to limit impact.
“We still have a long way to go. Many persons with disabilities do not own digital devices, and poor internet connectivity in rural areas is a major setback. We need partners to step in and fill these gaps,” Nambogo urged.
Going forward, the team is focusing on sustainability by training trainers—persons with disabilities who can go on to teach others in their communities. They’re also rallying support from other organizations to scale the initiative.
“This program has opened doors. NUDIPU and other organizations like UNAD are now using the data and lessons to advocate for more funding and targeted programs. The momentum is growing,” she said.
Nambogo emphasized that digital inclusion must be a collective effort.
“As Uganda pushes toward digital transformation, we must ensure no one is left behind. Persons with disabilities must be at the center of this movement, not on the margins.”
Speaking at the dissemination event, Esther Kyozira, the CEO NUDIP said that the program aimed at improving the skilling or the literacy levels of persons with disabilities in technology, specifically people with physical disabilities, people with visual impairments and people with hearing impairments.
“You know that we are all in that digital advancement and technology is the only way we can move with a speed at which development is moving and we found it important to bring persons with disabilities on board, because we thought they also needed to be part of that of development,” she said.
She revealed that they taught them alot of things including how to use a computer, how to open up accounts on various socials media platforms and also websites.
“So we started by Skilling them, training them how to use their smartphones, how to use their laptops for purposes of learning how things are moving. We supported them to open up social media accounts. We supported them to open up websites, especially organizations or persons with disabilities, so that they don’t miss out on what is going on around technology,” she added.
In a meeting held at UCC head office in Bugolobi, representatives of people with special needs hailed the program while asking for more skilling centres in all regions of the country.
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