Thesis (MPhil (Rehabilitation)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Research evidence suggesting the link between disability and poverty has been increasing at an alarming rate in recent years. Despite this, there has been very little attention to ensuring representation and inclusion of people with disabilities in poverty reduction processes. However, disability movements and their partners have been increasing pressure to ensure that people with disabilities effectively participate in the development of national development plans targeting poverty reduction. The aim of this qualitative study was to analyze the extent to which the human rights-based approach can be used as an advocacy tool for mainstreaming disability in the national development processes targeting poverty reduction in Uganda. The study was conducted in Kampala and Kiboga districts, and data were gathered between August and October 2009. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were used for data collection. Eleven participants were purposively selected to participate in key informant interviews. Using these key informants, the snowballing technique was used to identify twenty people that participated in the two focus group discussions, with each having ten participants. A thematic content analysis was used to analyze data, and this involved coding and cataloguing data into emerging themes and subthemes. The study established that despite several legal frameworks in Uganda, disability mainstreaming is still far from being achieved. Translation of policies into practice was identified as a major challenge, making it difficult for people with disabilities to be meaningfully involved in poverty reduction processes. Negative attitudes and misconception of disability by both policy makers and civil society, were also seen to be contributing to the exclusion of people with disabilities in poverty reduction processes and programmes. Lack of capacity and meaningful political representation of disabled people seem to negatively impact on effective participation, monitoring and evaluation of the poverty-reduction processes in Uganda. The study recommends the need to strengthen capacity and advocacy work among people with disabilities and their promoters to ensure their effective participation and inclusion of disability in the national development agenda. It further recommends the need to adopt the human rights-based approach in any development initiative, ensuring disability mainstreaming in policies and the national development plan, in order to effectively address poverty reduction in Uganda. The researcher also challenges disability and development researchers to engage in more wider-scale studies in order to establish more evidence on the need to adopt the human rights-based approach to national development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Navorsingsbewyse wat dui op ‟n verband tussen gestremdheid en armoede het in die afgelope jare onrusbarend toegeneem. Ten spyte hiervan is daar baie min aandag gegee om seker te maak dat gestremde mense by die armoedeverligtingsprosesse verteenwoordig en ingesluit word. Bewegings vir gestremde mense, asook dié bewegings se vennote, het egter al hoe meer druk begin uitoefen om seker te maak gestremde mense neem doeltreffend deel aan nasionale ontwikkelingsplanne wat op armoedeverligting gemik is. Die doel van hierdie kwalitatiewe studie was om te ontleed in watter mate die menseregtebenadering gebruik kan word as ‟n instrument om voorspraak te maak vir die hoofklem wat gestremdheid moet ontvang in die nasionale ontwikkelingsprosesse wat op armoedeverligting in Uganda gemik is.