Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC)

What Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC) does

Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC) is a Kampala-based non-profit organization founded in 1985 that advocates for the rights and well-being of children and youth with disabilities across Uganda. Operating through a headquarters on Plot 112 Owen Road, Mulago Hill, and an approximately 25-person staff, USDC delivers programs in 14 core districts (Adjumani, Nebbi, Yumbe, Arua, Lira, Soroti, Jinja, Masaka, Kampala, Luwero, Hoima, Masindi, Buliisa, and Kikuube). Its work is organized into five interconnected programmatic pillars: Strong Partnerships for Advocacy, Strengthening Delivery of Inclusive Health Services, Protection of Rights of Children with Disabilities, Promotion of Inclusive Education, and Positive Parenting. Primary beneficiaries are children and youth with disabilities, with secondary engagement of parents and families, government agencies, schools, and Parent Teacher Associations.

USDC does not develop or deploy proprietary technology; its service model is built on direct community-based delivery and capacity building. The organization trains teachers to use inclusive instructional materials, equips parents with skills for early identification and referral of disabilities, establishes functional referral systems for corrective health interventions, supports mainstreaming of disability into local government planning and resource allocation, and mobilizes parent support groups to advocate for children's needs. Distribution occurs through direct program delivery, parent support groups, and school-based networks, rather than through any technology platform.

USDC is funded entirely through donations and grants from individuals, organizations, and international bodies, and provides advocacy and services free of charge to beneficiaries. Historical institutional partnerships include a 4-year Integrated Right to Reading and Writing Participation Programme (IREAPP) with Save the Children (commenced 2013, covering 11 districts in Karamoja and central Uganda) and a prior partnership with ActionAid Uganda focused on reducing violence against children and women in eastern Uganda (concluded 2016). The organization reports no acquisitions, funding rounds, or formal investor relationships, consistent with its non-profit status.

Name

Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC)

Legal name

Uganda Society for Disabled Children

Website

https://usdc.or.ug

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC) is a Kampala-based non-profit, founded in 1985, that advocates for children and youth with disabilities across 14 districts of Uganda through five programmatic pillars spanning health, education, rights protection, parenting, and advocacy, funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Advocacy and Inclusion Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAH

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPADAGAH

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Human Rights, Democracy & Governance

SECONDARYBPAGACAG

Disability Services & Independent Living Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGALAM

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

Keywords

• Disability advocacy services
• Inclusive education programs
• Child disability support
• Community health advocacy
• Nonprofit disability services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: USDC operates as a non-profit organization funded through donations, grants, and charitable contributions from individuals, organizations, and international bodies who support the rights and well-being of children with disabilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC) is a non-profit advocacy and service organization that delivers community-based programs across five interconnected pillars: Strong Partnerships for Advocacy, Strengthening Delivery of Inclusive Health Services, Protection of Rights of Children with Disabilities, Promotion of Inclusive Education, and Positive Parenting. The organization works directly with children and youth with disabilities, their families, schools, and government structures across 14 core districts in Uganda to advance inclusive policies, equitable healthcare, education access, and rights protection.

Product overview

USDC operates as a non-profit advocacy organization offering a unified portfolio of five interconnected programmatic pillars rather than a technology product. The five pillars—Strong Partnerships for Advocacy, Strengthening Delivery of Inclusive Health Services, Protection of Rights of Children with Disabilities, Promotion of Inclusive Education, and Positive Parenting—work together to advance the organization's mission of promoting an inclusive environment for children and youth with disabilities in Uganda. These programs collectively address advocacy, health, rights protection, education, and family support across 14 core districts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strong Partnerships for Advocacy A pillar/program focused on building strategic partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, international bodies, and community stakeholders to influence policy decisions and advocate for rights of children and youth with disabilities in Uganda.
• Strengthening Delivery of Inclusive Health Services A pillar/program focused on establishing community-based structures that demand improved health services for children with disabilities, including functional referral systems that enable corrective interventions and home-based care training for parents.
• Protection of Rights of Children with Disabilities A pillar/program focused on enhancing the capacity of schools and community structures to mainstream disability in planning and resource allocation, and to handle cases of abuse involving children with disabilities.
• Promotion of Inclusive Education A pillar/program focused on equipping teachers with skills and instructional materials that enable children with disabilities to acquire life skills and participate in educational settings. Outcomes include PTCs adopting Special Needs Education as a compulsory module for pre-service teachers.
• Positive Parenting A pillar/program focused on empowering parents of children with disabilities through Parent Support Groups to enhance awareness on early identification, management, and referral of disabilities, and to advocate for the needs of children with disabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• PTCs (Parent Teacher Associations) have adopted Special Needs Education as a compulsory module for pre-service teachers
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ActionAid UgandaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016USDC partnered with ActionAid to deliver a project on reducing violence against children and women in eastern Uganda districts of Kapchorwa, Bukwo, Kween and Amudat. The partnership ended in 2016.
• Save the Children UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013USDC implemented a 4-year partnership project with Save the Children in Uganda code named Integrated Right to Reading And writing Participation Programme (IREAPP) in 11 districts of Karamoja and central Uganda. This was a significant partnership focused on literacy and educational rights.
• Government AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDC works with government agencies to influence policy decisions and enact legislative changes that protect and uphold the rights of children and youth with disabilities. The organization advocates for inclusive policies and practices at national and local government levels.
• Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDC partners with various non-governmental organizations to advance advocacy efforts and deliver programs supporting children with disabilities throughout Uganda.
• International BodiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDC maintains strategic partnerships with international bodies to support advocacy efforts and access resources for children and youth with disabilities in Uganda.
• Community StakeholderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDC works with community stakeholders including local leaders, parent-teacher associations, and community-based organizations to implement programs and advocate for inclusive practices at the grassroots level.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• ActionAid Uganda: An international anti-poverty organization with a Uganda country office. Relevant as a former USDC implementation partner (2013–2016) and as a peer actor in Uganda's child-protection and rights non-profit landscape.
• UNICEF Uganda: The UN children's agency operating in Uganda on child welfare, health, and education. Relevant as a potential funding/policy counterpart and ecosystem peer in Uganda's child-rights non-profit landscape, though operating at substantially larger scale and broader mandate than USDC.
• Save the Children Uganda: An international child-rights NGO operating in Uganda through country programs. Relevant as USDC's named long-term implementation partner on IREAPP and as a peer in Uganda's child welfare non-profit ecosystem, though its mandate is broader than disability-specific work.

Direct peers

• Sense International: An international disability charity supporting deafblind people and people with complex disabilities in lower-income countries through education, health, and advocacy. Comparable as a focused disability-rights non-profit working through local partnerships.
• ADD International (Action on Disability and Development): An international disability rights organization working with disabled persons' organizations in Africa and Asia. Comparable to USDC's advocacy, rights-protection, and community-empowerment model for persons with disabilities in low-income country settings.
• Sightsavers: An international NGO working on disability inclusion (with a focus on visual impairment) across Africa and Asia. Comparable as a non-profit delivering disability-focused health, education, and advocacy programs in low- and middle-income countries through country offices and partner networks.
• Leonard Cheshire Disability: A global charity supporting children and youth with disabilities through education, livelihoods, and advocacy programs. Comparable in mission focus on disability-inclusive education, child-focused service delivery, and policy advocacy in developing-country contexts.
• Light for the World: An international disability-inclusive development NGO operating across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, focused on eye health, inclusive education, and economic empowerment. Highly comparable as a disability-focused non-profit delivering multi-pillar programs in low-resource settings.
• CBM (Christian Blind Mission): A large international disability-inclusive development organization working in low-income countries on health, education, and livelihood programs for persons with disabilities. Closely comparable to USDC's integrated health, education, and advocacy pillars at a multi-country scale.

Broad incumbents

• Humanity & Inclusion (formerly Handicap International): A large international NGO working broadly on disability inclusion, rehabilitation, and humanitarian response across many countries. Comparable in disability-services mandate but operates at significantly greater scale and broader humanitarian scope than USDC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uganda-society-for-disabled-children

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC)