In Uganda, government official wants deaf-blind children to aspire to highest level of education

From New Vision in Uganda:

The MP for persons with disability in the central region, Alex Ndeezi, has disagreed with parents of deaf and blind children over the level of education at which the children should stop.

Some parents said they would be happy if their disabled children acquired handcraft skills but Ndeezi said such children can also attain degrees.

This was during the commissioning of a multipurpose building for deaf and blind children at St. Mark’s VII School for the Deaf in Bwanda, Masaka district.
The sh220m building was donated by Sense International, a non-governmental organisation.

The parents’ leader, Olive Bwana, said she could not believe that her deaf and blind child could get a university degree.

“We don’t expect our children to get degrees but want them to at least do something for themselves,” Bwana said.

She added that some blind and deaf children had multiple physical disabilities, which made their lives more complicated and, therefore, cannot get formal education.

Bwana said the Government needed to establish schools for the deaf and blind in every district to enable parents visit them regularly.

However, Ndeezi urged the parents to stop undermining their children, saying this would demoralise them.

“A deaf and blind child can go to university and be a graduate. I look forward to seeing a deaf and blind person going to Parliament one day.”

Ndeezi said negative attitude towards disabled children closes opportunities for them.

The head teacher of the school, Sister Rose Immaculate, commended Sense International for the donation.

She said the school lacked teachers, adding that each student needed a personal teacher.

“We have six full time pupils and 14 part timers with mild impairment,” Immaculate said.

She added that the school also lacked money because the students come from poor families and cannot pay school fees.