Implementation of the World Report on Disability: Developing human resource capacity to meet the needs of people with communication disability in Uganda

Barrett, Helen and Marshall, Julie (2015) Implementation of the World Report on Disability: Developing human resource capacity to meet the needs of people with communication disability in Uganda. International journal of speech-language pathology, 15 (1). pp. 48-52. ISSN 1754-9507

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Abstract

The World Report on Disability makes nine recommendations to ensure the inclusion, participation, and emancipation of people with disabilities. As described by Wylie, McAllister, Marshall, and Davidson (2013), the recommendations present a challenge for the development of services for people with communication disability (PWCD) in the Majority World, particularly recommendation 5: “increasing human resource capacity”, since professionals with training in communication disability are often in extremely short supply. In partial answer to this situation in East Africa, a degree-level education programme for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) commenced in Uganda in 2008. This paper describes the establishment of that degree course, the current context of professional education, service development, and delivery, and describes how the World Report on Disability recommendation of increasing human resource capacity could be further addressed using culturally-appropriate, accessible, and innovative models of education. It highlights the need for a multi-strand and long-term approach to addressing communication disability at impairment, activity, and participation levels and offers a vision for the future of services in Uganda.