Social Protection for Disability in Central Uganda: A Human Development Perspective

Abstract

There is ample empirical evidence of the nature and functioning of formal and informal social protection systems in Uganda, but few studies have
examined their implementation and influence on the lives of youth living with disabilities. This study contributes to the discourse on this subject by
exploring the meaning and functioning of social protection strategies among youth living with spina bifida and hydrocephalous in central Uganda. Using data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with youth living with the disability, focus group discussions and key informants, we observed a widespread knowledge of social protection systems among the respondents. Overall, social protection is understood by these individuals as encompassing all measures implemented to address their perceived social exclusion and other forms of vulnerabilities related to their disability condition. A philosophical twist to the design and implementation of social protection is recommended, by integrating the human development model of disability which—unlike the widely used medical and social models of disability— places the elements of the health conditions, impairments and their causes and consequences on the wellbeing of these vulnerable individuals at the core of the theoretical discourse.

Key words: Social protection, spina bifida and hydrocephalus, disability,Uganda.