Uganda will join the rest of the world on October 25, to celebrate World Dwarfism Day at Mengo in Kampala.
Addressing the media ahead of the celebrations, Joseph Kawanguzi, a programmes officer at the Foundation of Persons Affected by Dwarfism, noted discrimination as a major challenge faced by little people in their communities.
Kawanguzi noted that little people often receive inadequate resource allocations, such as only Shs 50 million under the Parish Development Model (PDM), which is disproportionate to their population.
“We continue to face discrimination in places like churches, schools, hospitals, and public transport, where some transporters refuse to carry us, claiming we are an overburden,” he said.
Kawanguzi emphasised that tackling discrimination requires robust government commitment, particularly through the implementation of laws and policies that uphold human rights.
Current statistics indicate that Uganda has a total of 194,271 little people, who continue to face significant discrimination due to their stature.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Disability, Hellen Asamo, unveiled plans for the World Dwarfism Day celebrations and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting little people from discrimination.
“We have ensured that all public roads, buildings, and offices are accessible to little people, as they often face challenges entering these spaces,” she aid.
Asamo clarified that according to the Constitution, little people are defined as men measuring 4 feet 4 inches or less and women measuring 4 feet 1 inch or less.
