The government has started the process to categorise people living with disabilities to better support them in the future.

The exercise was launched at Gahini Hospital in Kayonza District on Tuesday.

People with disabilities will be classified into five categories.

The exercise, conducted by a team of medics, will be supervised by the Ministry of Local Government.

Addressing residents and local leaders in Gahini Sector during the launch, the Minister of State for Social Affairs, Dr Alvera Mukabaramba, said government was committed to assisting the disabled.

Mukabaramba said categorising them will make it easier for government to support them.

She urged the public to sensitise PLWDs to register at various selected places in their sectors.

In 2007, after a law protecting the disabled was enacted, a number of programmes were launched to help them.

Since then, the disabled have been actively engaged in a number of social, economic and political activities.

Dr. Dominique Savio Mugenzi, who is in charge of the categorisation exercise, reiterated the need for every disabled person to register. Mugenzi said the turn up at the launch did not reflect the true numbers of PLWDs in the district.

"We need the support of all residents. Depending on the kind of disability one has, some are not able to come out to register. It is therefore, the duty of residents to help some disabled register,” he said.

People living with disabilities entertained guests.

Emmanuel Gashirabake, one of the leaders of the disabled in Gahini Sector, said the exercise was long overdue.

He said categorising the disabled will help the government address the real needs of people living with disabilities.

"Our needs differ, some of us need wheel chairs for mobility, others need hearing aids, walking sticks, among others. So, unless one knows what to offer, nothing meaningful can be done,” he said.