Dr. Florence Ndagire 

Senior Disability Researcher 

Societies will never achieve Sustainable development goals without the participation of everyone including persons with disabilities. We cannot afford to ignore or marginalize the contribution of 1.5 billion people. Upholding the rights of persons with disabilities is a moral imperative and not an act of charity. It is a recognition of rights and a practical necessity if we are to build healthy, sustainable societies for the benefit of everyone including persons with disabilities and those without. Together, we can remove barriers and raise awareness so that people with disabilities can play a full part in every sphere of society around the world” – António Guterres, UN Secretary-General

Florence Ndagire is a lawyer and senior disability researcher at Includovate. As Uganda’s first visually impaired female lawyer, she holds a Master of Laws in International and European Human Rights Law from the University of Leeds and a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University. Florence is currently a PhD finalist at Makerere University, focusing on access to reproductive health services for persons with disabilities in Uganda.

Florence has extensive experience in civil society, having worked in various capacities, including as a program officer and human rights policy advisor at the World Blind Union. She has served as the chairperson of the UN Women Regional Civil Society Advisory Group of East and Southern Africa and is currently the UNPRPD advisor. Her work has involved supporting reports on support services, legal capacity, and independent living for the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities.

Florence has also contributed to significant policy and advocacy efforts for disability rights in Uganda. She was involved in the project “My Story, My Rights,” which provided evidence for Uganda’s review of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She has worked with the Uganda National Association of the Blind, ADD International, and the Uganda Society for Disabled Children, advocating for legal and policy reforms to benefit children and adults with disabilities. Florence is the primary author of the paper “Will the proposed reforms in the mental health treatment act be consistent with Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Uganda?”. 

<< Back to Meet the Team