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The study assessed services provided to Persons With Disabilities (PWDS) in Masaka district of Uganda since the introduction of special needs education. Overall literature affirmed the general limited access to services among PWDs in Uganda attributed to the continued stigmatisation and discrimination of PWDs at all levels. It revealed that affirmative action for PWDs and thus disability mainstreaming has not been effected across all development sectors. Despite the relationship that exists between special needs education services and the standards of living of PWDS, there is still need to sensitise people on the ability of PWDs. There is also need to give high budgetary priority for the improvement of the education system to enable all people regardless of their abilities. Finally,Social protection measures need to be in place for the 35% PWDS who are a chronically poor category; special programmes in health and education among others beyond the universal programmes should be designed to ensure substantial results in terms of improved livelihoods and poverty reduction among PWDS.

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The author is a social scientist and development advocate. He participated in Rural Remoteness and Chronic Poverty researches and the disability study to generate reliable data in Uganda and to identify the socio-cultural, economic and political challenges to disability interventions to influence pro-disability policies and programmes in Uganda.

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