Title: 	Accelerating disability inclusion by maximizing the strengths of Social Work: Lessons from Community Based Rehabilitation Students in Uganda.   

Background and Purpose:  Despite strong global and national legal frameworks to protect the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Children with disabilities remain the most disadvantaged and marginalized in society. They face a number of social, economic and political barriers to attaining their full potential. In Uganda it is estimated that about 13%, approximately 2.5 million children have disabilities. The study established challenges faced by children with disabilities and their families and how to address them using community appropriate and sensitive approaches to build resilience.   

Methods:  Study was part of a Post Graduate Diploma in Community-Based Rehabilitation Internship and adopted a Participatory Learning and Action (PLA). A total of 30 families having children with disabilities were randomly sampled. With an introduction letter from Kyambogo University, the student were authorized by Mukono District to undertake internship. The methods used included; in-depth interviews, observations and taking action on the findings using locally available resources and service networks as pre-scribed by the CBR model.   

Results:  The study revealed that children with disabilities and their families face exclusion from enjoying their rights as well as services due to superstitions, neglect, negative attitudes, social norms, and practices and have limited awareness about their rights. There is limited funding for disability interventions at all levels. Frontline workers and stakeholders lack the required and tested Social Work systematic Approach which would reinforce the Social Model of Disability to make inclusion possible. 

Conclusions and Implications:  Findings suggest that to achieve disability inclusion, a hybrid model that integrates the Social Work Approach with Community Based Rehabilitation approach should be explored. This requires application of structured Social Work theories such as: social learning theory; psycho social development theory; rational choice theory and Social Work Practice Models like: Problem solving’ Task/Case Centered Model and Crisis Intervention model among others combing these with Disability Inclusion models such as the twin-track approach. 

Authors: Denis Nuwagaba, Swabra Nakawesa, Maureen Twesigane, Giselle Emerusenge, December Kiconco, Andrew Opio.  
