Young Ugandans with Disabilities Push for Greater Access to Education, Employment, and Public Life

More than half of young Ugandans with disabilities are not in school, employed, or receiving job training, a figure that rises to nearly two-thirds among young women with disabilities. In “We Were Left Behind,” DJP Fellow Esther Suubi follows Gorret Namwanje and other members of Shared Sights Foundation, a youth-led organization that says it has reached more than 3,000 young people since 2022. Through their work in schools and communities, they are pressing for disability rights and greater political and community participation while helping young people gain vocational skills and find ways to earn an income. “Youth with disabilities were left out in community participation, political participation, engaging in community activities, in leadership, and raising their voices,” says Namwanje. “We were really left behind, and our voices were not heard.”

Access the film with audio descriptions. (Audio captions and editing by Taylor Blackley.)