When 45-year-old Myleen Kyomuhendo lost her ability to walk after a road crash in 2007, her world fell apart.
Confined to a wheelchair in her late teens, the former basketball player thought her dreams were over.
‘I cried for two years,’ she recalled, telling Monitor that: ‘But after that, I knew I had to start all over again with my life the way I was. I sought knowledge so that I can impact society.’
Today, Kyomuhendo leads the She-Cranes on Wheels, Uganda’s wheelchair basketball team, which recently won a silver medal at the East Africa Games in Nairobi.
Yet, despite her success, she says life for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Uganda remains a struggle marked by stigma, inaccessibility, and neglect.
Speaking at the second Disability Inclusion Summit convened by TAHI Uganda, Kyomuhendo described her recent visit to Mulago Hospital, where she was forced to relieve herself outside because no accessible toilets were available.
‘The building where I had to get my treatment was two floors with all having small doors which couldn’t support me and my wheelchair,’ she said in Kampala on Friday.
She added: ‘I felt so bad because I couldn’t hold my bladder since it was greatly affected.’
She urged government agencies to prioritize inclusivity when constructing public buildings and designing health facilities.
‘Policies are there, but some things can’t wait,’ she said, citing poor access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information for people with disabilities.
‘When we reviewed the implementation of HIV programmes, it was clear that nothing was shared with PWDs. This leaves a gap since it will continue spreading among them,’ she said.
Kyomuhendo also highlighted stigma in government hospitals. ‘They ask who got them pregnant rather than focusing on their being human too,’ she noted.
At the summit, Robert Mukwangu, Executive Director of the Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD), urged the government to provide free mobility devices for PWDs. ‘Why would wheelchairs be heavily taxed by the Uganda Revenue Authority? Those with legs didn’t pay for them, why are those with disabilities paying for them?’ he asked.
Dr Irene Mwenyango, assistant commissioner for adolescents at the Ministry of Health, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving access and inclusion. ‘The health ministry aims at ensuring that PWDs receive quality healthcare services, including SRHR, without facing barriers or stigma,’ she said.
Charles Tumwesigye, team leader at TAHI Uganda, said stigma and weak implementation of laws continue to marginalize PWDs. ‘The laws crafted do not favour PWDs since they only remain on paper,’ he said.
As Uganda pushes for universal health coverage, voices like Kyomuhendo’s are a reminder that accessibility remains far from universal.