Makerere University has recognised the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program for its contribution to supporting students with disabilities, as the university called for stronger efforts to turn disability inclusion policies into practical action in higher education.
The recognition was made during the university’s commemoration of the 2026 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, held at Makerere’s Main Hall on November 5, which brought together university officials, students, disability rights advocates and development partners to assess progress in improving access to higher education.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program received a plaque of appreciation from the university’s Dean of Students office in recognition of its commitment to supporting students with disabilities.
Kampala Lord Mayor Eng. Ronald Balimwezo commended the Mastercard Foundation for supporting students with disabilities to access university education, saying education had played a central role in shaping his own life.
“Education remains one of the most powerful instruments for transforming lives and breaking the cycle of exclusion,” Balimwezo said.
He said Makerere receives more than 2,000 applications from students with disabilities but admits only 67, highlighting the gap between demand for university education and the number of students able to secure admission.
“I was informed that the university receives more than 2,000 applications, but only 67 students with disabilities are admitted. But even with that number, thank you. I appreciate the opportunity extended to the admitted students,” he said.
Balimwezo said his own education had opened opportunities that would otherwise have been out of reach. “Had I not gone to school, believe me, I would be begging on the streets of Kampala,” he said.
He also called attention to the limited provision of public primary schools in Kampala, saying the city has 23 purely public primary schools against a national education policy provision of 101.
Makerere said it currently has 147 students with disabilities, representing 0.5 per cent of its student population. The university has a disability policy intended to guarantee equal opportunities for students and staff to access education and employment.
Dean of Students Dr Winifred Kabumburi said the university had established a disability support centre offering resources and services to students and staff with disabilities.
She said the university also provides carers, helpers and sign-language interpreters, while improving physical access through ramps, lifts and accessible pathways. The university has also provided accommodation suited to students with disabilities and a disability van to ease their movement around campus.
Kabumburi said the university was deliberate about implementing inclusive policies and creating awareness of the rights and needs of students and staff with disabilities.
“We are intentional and decisive in the implementation of inclusive policies and practices,” she said, adding that the support centre was established as a one-stop facility for resources and services.
She said carers and helpers supporting students with disabilities are paid, accommodated and fed, and can also access university health services.
Prof Sarah Ssali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, representing the Vice Chancellor, said universities should move beyond treating disability inclusion as an act of charity and recognise persons with disabilities as equal rights holders and active participants in academic and institutional life.
“Globally, people are reflecting and challenging ourselves to go beyond sympathy to empowerment, to go from charity to recognising that people with disabilities are active agents of change, leaders, equal holders of human rights,” Ssali said.
She said the existence of policies alone was insufficient if students continued to face barriers to accessing education and participating in university activities.
“A university cannot claim excellence if sections of its community encounter barriers to accessing education, participating in university life, or contributing to knowledge production,” Ssali said.
She challenged university leaders to ensure that inclusion is reflected in teaching, research, service delivery, resource allocation and governance.
“Our commitment to inclusion must therefore be reflected in the way we teach, in the way we learn, conduct research, provide services, allocate resources, and govern the university,” she said.
During a panel discussion, Hon. Laura Kanushu, a legislator representing persons with disabilities, said women with disabilities face multiple forms of discrimination and called for disability considerations to be incorporated into university programmes targeting women.
“When it comes to a woman with disability, that’s double marginalisation. That’s triple marginalisation. That’s triple discrimination,” Kanushu said.
She said universities should look beyond general disability programmes and consider the specific challenges faced by female students and workers with disabilities.
Kanushu also called for greater acceptance of persons with disabilities, saying self-acceptance was part of overcoming stigma and discrimination.
Rosemary Nasaba of UNESCO Uganda urged universities to strengthen mentorship, skills development and career guidance for students with disabilities, adding that such guidance should begin at primary and secondary school level.
She commended Makerere for its disability-inclusive guidance centre, saying it could serve as a model for other higher education institutions.
“We need an inclusive, a dedicated disability-inclusive guidance centre, which I think they have. It should be a model centre for all other universities such that they can learn from Makerere University,” Nasaba said.
Daniel Elaju, a Makerere master’s student who graduated with a first-class degree in Bachelor of Arts with Education in January 2025, said the presence of persons with disabilities within university systems was necessary for institutions to understand their different experiences and accommodation needs.
“Once these people are integrated into the system, we can live with them, understand what kind of accommodation, what kind of access, what kind of participation is required,” Elaju said.
He said access to education should also include the ability to participate fully in academic and social activities, including access to assistive technology, interpreters and appropriate classroom arrangements.
Ryan Hopper, head of physiotherapy at Hope Speaks, said inclusion required institutions to anticipate the needs of students rather than respond only after they encountered barriers.
“If you’re looking at true inclusion, it’s more than just putting a ramp here and making a change there. It’s more than that. It’s a change in mindset that starts with everyone,” Hopper said.
He cited accessible doors, ramps, handrails and audio learning materials as some of the measures universities should put in place.
Dr Naboth Cole, who said he had spent 25 years at Makerere, described the university’s progress in disability inclusion as significant, recalling a time when the main library had only one computer for persons with disabilities and halls of residence lacked functional lifts.
“As I’m talking right now, they refurbished with lifts and ramps. I am talking about a university celebrating an international day for persons with disabilities. That’s a huge milestone,” Cole said.
The university’s recognition of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program came as participants called for stronger implementation of existing disability policies, arguing that legislation and institutional commitments must translate into practical improvements in students’ daily experiences.
