The role of qualitative methods in shaping policy on employment rights for people with disabilities in Uganda

Abstract

There is widespread evidence that people with disabilities face challenges, including discrimination, in accessing labour markets: however, there is much less evidence around how the rights to employment of persons with disabilities should be implemented within national legal frameworks. Our current study looks at this question in the context of Uganda where, despite an estimated 12 % of the population living with a disability, data and evidence on the employment of people with disabilities, and on implementation of relevant anti-discrimination law, is scarce. We present our methodology and some early results of a mixed-methods, participatory research project examining policy implementation. One key finding is that the information-gathering interviews conducted with policy actors have themselves changed the perceptions and intentions of these actors. We reflect on potential explanations of these results and situate them in relevant debates around participant-researcher relationships. Lastly, we consider how significant the implications for policy implementation, and change-oriented research more generally, might be.