They remained mystified as to how Michael “survived such tough conditions alone for so long”.. James Mwandha hasn’t been a danger to anyone since polio damaged one of his legs about 40 years ago. But on his first day as an MP in the Ugandan parliament, some fussy ushers obviously thought otherwise. They said that according to the rules it was a weapon,” he recalls with a rueful smile. “They wanted to deposit it in the guard house and lift me in their arms. But I said no way.”Fortunately a passing official intervened and common sense prevailed. Moments later, Mr Mwandha hobbled into the chamber, stick in hand.Uganda has come a long way in its provisions for disabled people since that day, now more than a decade ago.

In the parliament there are wheel-chair ramps and working lifts. There are progressive laws in place that would shame many First World countries.And in the countryside, a silent revolution led by an army of councillors has changed the prevailing attitudes, if not always the conditions by which people live.Action on Disability and Development (Add), one of the two charities that The Independent’s readers are supporting for this festive season, is in the vanguard of the action.”We are able to stand strong and speak out because we know the law is behind us,” said the charity’s local programme officer, Vernon Ndaziboneye, who has been blind since childhood.The key change came with a new constitution passed by Uganda’s progressive – if somewhat erratic – President, Yoweri Museveni, in 1995. Now there are more than 47,000 disabledpublic representatives at every level from the village councils to the national parliament.There are also special laws to ensure that physically or mentally impaired people can, for instance, inherit the land they deserve, obtain a driving licence or vote by means that do not involve writing.Affirmative action is an alien concept to many African countries, but not Uganda. At least two seats are reserved for disabled people at each of the five administrative levels, and at least one of those must be held by a woman. Lobbyists push for access to schools, health facilities and even cows. A recent bylaw in one district stipulated that at least five of every 35 cows in a government restocking programme should go to disabled people.Rising awareness has created opportunities that have taken some Ugandans far afield. The week before Christmas Jane Alum – who lives with the aftermath of polio and is the councillor for the eastern district of Soroti – returned from Denmark, where she had spent five months on a training course.But the trip also brought home the harsh reality of Uganda’s model laws to Ms Alum.

In Europe, high-technology tools and aids were available to the disabled people she met. In Uganda, there is usually not even enough money to buy callipers.Emmanuel Opule, another councillor, said: “When I got to the villages, people tell me all the legislation is useless to them. They say it is like someone with a good heart who brings a tray to the table that has no food.”The same is true right up to national level. Margaret Baba Diri, an MP, admitted: “We have passed many laws, but some are not implemented.” And although President Museveni supports the cause, he gives more to other groups. This year he spent £84m on defence, and only £87,000 on disabled and elderly people.Nevertheless, considerable progress has been made, not least in terms of minimising the terrible stigma once associated with physical or mental impairment. Ms Alum said: “Our work used to be to sit at home with a long stick, chasing hens from the compound But that attitude is not so bad now.