Disability activists from Uganda visit DHD to learn about disability and employment policy in the US

Two fellows from Uganda spent four weeks in the Department of Disability and Human Development through an international exchange program related to the employment of people with disabilities.

Working under the supervision of clinical assistant professor Robert Gould, Peter Ogik and Esther Allen Nakamwa completed an intensive four-week program to learn about U.S. policy and workforce development issues related to disability.

Ogik is the chairperson and co-founder of Source of the Nile Union of Persons with Albinism in Jinja, eastern Uganda.

Nakamwa is the principal of Heritage Kindergarten and Daycare in Kampala and a human resources manager at the solar energy company Power Trust Uganda.

Learning more about U.S. culture, including a homestay experience, was a key part of the exchange program. The fellows stayed in the homes of AHS professors Tamar Heller, Fabricio Balcazar and Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar.

The exchange was made possible by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities Professional Fellows Program for Inclusive Disability Employment, sponsored by U.S. Department of State.

The department plans to continue its collaborations with Ogik and Nakamwa, supporting them in their work to build more inclusive employment systems in Uganda.