When Nancy Anena joined the university as a government-sponsored student, she automatically earned herself a personal assistant to help her juggle both lectures and moving around the university with ease even as she was born without limbs.
The second-year student pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling didn’t know she was starting another hustle dealing with a helper where they would often fall as they pushed her in her wheelchair.
Like her, experts say many people with disabilities have suffered harm at the hands of assistants that are supposed to guide them.
Sylvester Kasozi the Country Director for Light for the World, said that initially the people with disabilities were only helped by their relatives and sympathizers to different locations, cross the roads, use elevators, and many other issues.
On Friday, 15 students graduated to offer professional assistance to persons with disabilities.
The six-month certificate course was funded by Light for the world, a global disability and development organization aiming at professionalizing personal assistant services for people with disabilities. The course was hosted by the faculty of special needs and disabilities at Kyambogo University.
Kasozi says that the helpers were doing it unprofessionally which could instead harm or put the lives of PWDs at risk.
He says that the organization has spent over 10,000 Euros to facilitate the training of the students.
Dr. Niyisabwa Odette Tumwesigye the head of the department of visual impairment studies said that the university has been having personal assistants for persons with disabilities who are not trained especially with wheelchair aiding.
She adds that the personal assistants that were hired by the University admitted that they have been pushing and causing accidents to staff and people with disabilities while doing their work due to lack of training.
The certificate course has seven-course units which include professional ethics, Mobility techniques for all people with disabilities, Adaptation to ICT, Health and safety, Practicums among others.
Dr. Niyisabwa also noted that there is a need to carry on with this course where private students can enroll and pay to study and acquire skills.
Musa Mwambu a visually impaired lecturer and as well as the vision barer said that the course will help the students acquire professional skills in handling and assisting people with disabilities.
Patricia Esayete one of the graduates, said that the training and the certificate she has got will enable her to be more professional while doing her work as a professional personal assistant for persons with disabilities.
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